Papers
by AWard4love
Summary: Many things are written on paper, some more important than others, some contain desirable information. Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, not myself.
1. Intervention

Months after the war ended, people began to pick up the pieces that they called their life. The dead were buried, and homes were being rebuilt. Slowly, yet surely, the wizarding community was returning to its glory before Lord Voldemort came back from the dead. Nearly everybody was making an effort to pull not only themselves, but their friends back together again. All except one witch.

Some allowed her to take her time, knowing her role. Others deemed her just the same as the others. Her friends talked amongst each other, all with the common goal to help her realize it was time. None of them wanted to be the one to approach her with the truth. Eventually, they decided to talk to her as a group.

"Hello everybody, what's going on?" she asked when the talk was to begin.

"We need to talk," the brave soul who decided to jump into the conversation as soon as possible began.

"So let's talk, Harry. Or is this something you need to talk to me in private?" She looked around the room at the audience she now held.

"No, actually, all of us have been talking, and we need to discuss this as a group," Harry continued. "We think it is time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"Damnit, Hermione. You know what I mean," Harry ran his hands through his hair, grabbing it in frustration. "It's time you go to Australia."

Hermione looked at her friend, noticing how he was changing from a boy to a man. She was at a loss for words. Was he really telling her what to do? Her eyes wandered around the room, looking into the eyes of Ginny, Molly, George, Ron, Kingsley, and a few other members of the order.

"I... I am not ready,"she stammered. "And what makes you think you know what is best for me?" Her gazed stopped at Ginny, who cleared her throat.

"'Mione, you have not been yourself ever since you sent your parents there. And the war is over. In fact, it has been over for months. All the people who could have hurt them are either dead or in Azkaban. There is no need to keep them there and suffer for it here." Ginny sighed as she finished her piece of the intervention.

"Ron, please don't tell me you are siding with them," Hermione locked eyes with him. Tears welled up when he swallowed hard and looked away from her. "No! I said I would go when I am ready, I am not ready yet!"

"Oh? And do tell me when you will be ready? You told me once you brought them back and got everything sorted you would give 'us' a chance. I am waiting, Hermione, but I won't wait forever." Ron's demand hit her hard, sending the tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked back at Harry, who seemed to be the most sympathetic at the moment.

"When do you want me to have this done by?" She asked no louder than a whisper.

"We want you to leave by the end of the month. Kingsley has made arrangements with the Australian Ministry to allow you to floo to and from, as long as you leave before the month's end."

"That does not give me much time to get things ready before I leave," Hermione whispered. "I need to find all the papers I had of where they would be located, as well as everything else I need to gain their trust. Oh why did I alter my memory on where I hid those papers?" Her rambling continued as she began to frantically pace the room. Everyone began to get more and more concerned for the witch, when all of a sudden she stopped.

"Ok, so who have you picked to accompany me? To make sure I am actually doing what I am being 'told' to do?" she asked with air quotations. She looked at her audience, almost demanding the one to step forward. When nobody moved, she looked back at Harry. "Well, out with it!"

"We did not choose anybody. We did not know if you wanted to bring somebody, or who, let alone if you want anybody along. It's all your choice." Hermione let out a sigh of relief as she realized she had a say in one part of this.

"Good. I want to do this alone. And don't you dare think about trying to follow me. If I catch you, I will make it so you would wish you never pushed me into this." A sharp crack errupted from her sudden disaparation. Harry looked at everyone, a slight chuckle emitting from his chest.

"Well, that went better than expected."

Hermione aparated in her flat, looking instantly for the beaded bag she was so accustomed to having. She dumped out all the contents in it to get a fresh start for the new journey. She laughed a little when she pulled out the camera that contained the pictures from their Horcrux Hunting Adventure. She checked to see how many pictures were left on the roll of film, and realized there was only one space left. She decided to take a self portrait, and proceeded to remove the film.

While putting the film back in its canister, she suddenly remembered that they had to get developed. There was no way she would be able to take it to a muggle photo center, she had no idea if there were pictures of magical items or questionable activity. Her mind raced trying to remember if there was a wizarding photo developer. There had to be. And then an idea popped into her head.

After writing a quick note requesting help, she sent the small owl who had been given to her by Harry out with her note. She began to pack clothes back into her bag when her owl returned with a response. Colin Creevy had agreed to help her develop her pictures, asking if she wanted them to move or not. Penning her reply, she grabbed an envelope and placed the roll of film in it gently. The owl flew off into the distance, and Hermione smiled, excited to see what was waiting for her.

Once all the odds and ends she wanted to bring with her were packed, Hermione began to think deeply about where she hid the information regarding her parents hiding place. She looked in all the drawers of her desk, took every book off the shelf, flipping through the pages in anticipation that she would find it stuck between two pages. With no luck, she got an idea that she knew she did not like. She knew she would have to visit her parents house.

Grabbing the beaded bag, Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No time like the present," she said to herself as she disaparated once more.


	2. Cleaning Up

Everything was dark, with a strong odor of dust and mold. Hermione's eyes needed to adjust before she started to move. It had been many months since she had stepped foot here, and she needed a moment to gather herself. Deciding she had enough time, she started to move towards the wall in search of a light switch. After stumbling over something in her path, she remembered she had her wand and lit the tip.

Tears burned at her eyes when she saw the state of the living room. Nothing was how it was left. Furniture was pushed over, drawers opened with their contents dumped out. The room had a feel of some darkness, and her heart dropped as she made the sudden realization. If she had not sent her parents to Australia, the Death Eaters would have found them here at the house, and tortured them for information about her.

Her mind started racing. Should she cleaned up the place, or should she leave it as is? Would going back to Harry and asking for help make her less of a person? First thing first, if she was to bring her parents home, they need a home to return to, not a mess. But how was she to find the paper with the important information with the place wrecked? Suddenly, the perfect idea hit her.

Looking around the living room, she used her wand to put things back into place. The chairs were put upright, cleaned and cushions fluffed. Tables put back together and polished, drawers put back into place, as well as the items inside in their perfect places. Every scrap of paper was looked at thoroughly, charmes used incase she had hidden the words.

From the living room, she moved into the kitchen, the dinning room, the entryway, up the stairs, down the hallway. She hesitated outside her parent's bedroom, and wanted to do her own room last, knowing she would stop once she sat down on her bed. A grumble from her stomach forced her to take a break. She went down to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. The whole time, her mind was constantly thinking of where she could have left it.

While washing her dishes the muggle way, an owl tapped on the window. Hesitantly, she let it in, grabbing the note from its leg. No sooner that the owl was relieved of its parcel did it take off, apparently a response was not needed. Opening it up, she read the short note from Harry "I am here if you need to talk, be brave." For some reason, this triggered something, she remembered the attic, where her parents kept all their storage.

She pulled down the stairs to enter the attic. Luckily, most of the attic was just as she remembered it. It looked as if the Death Eaters had entered, saw it was mostly a bunch of junk, and left it alone. Thinking this would be a place for her to hide the information, she started opening boxes, living the memories in the photos and small objects.

A new idea crossed her mind. She began to grab items that reminded her of all the fun times with her parents. She found photos from their wedding, her mother's pregnancy with her, as well as family trips. She kept looking through boxes, laughing and crying over the contents.

But there was one trunk in the corner she had yet to open. This one looked out of place among the cardboards boxes, the wood worn out and leather straps cracking. There were markings carved into the wood, they looked oddly familiar.

She looked at the lock on the trunk and charmed it open. The lid opened with a loud squeak. The contents were full of random items, some looked broken, some looked really old. She found all sorts of papers. This would take a long time to go through, she thought. Wanting to be more comfortable, she closed the trunk, shrunk it down, and took it with her.

She went down to her bedroom, cleaned it up without even looking at the items for her self note. It was getting late, so she decided to wait on opening the trunk until the morning. Grabbing a random book off the shelf, she settled herself into bed and prepared to read. There was something marking a page in the book, an envelope. She opened the book up, looking at the large picture displayed on the left page. This could not be right. She looked at the cover of the book, "Pureblood Families And Their Histories." Her eyes widened. The trunk could not wait any longer.


	3. The Trunk

Hermione moved the trunk downstairs to the dinning room table. She brewed a large pot of coffee, knowing this could take a long time. With coffee in hand, she opened the trunk, peering inside. Papers filled most of the trunk, and she grabbed the top most paper and began to read.

She read love letters from a young couple in love from the wizarding world. There were talks to dates to a quidditch match as well as getting ice cream in Diagon Alley. She made a pile of these letters, making a mental note to put them in order.

There were other letters from family members, parental units giving their disappointment, siblings writing of their adventures, even a few from friends. These letters were given their own piles according to whom they were addressed to.

Digging deeper, she found some official looking papers, the seals opened and cracking with age. She found their old Hogwarts letters, bank information at Gringotts, Ministry of Magic documents, and much more. There were keys and a pair of wands wrapped up in an old cloth. Under the cloth was a book, blank cover, but looked very well worn.

Hermione picked up the book, curious to the contents of it. She opened to the first page, seeing it was actually a photo album. She noticed how they were of the same two people, who she assumed to be the owners of the trunk, and then, she took a closer look at the two.

The book dropped to the ground as she screamed. There was no way. She ran upstairs and grabbed her copy of "Pureblood Families And Their Histories" and ran back down. She stumbled over the last step, cursing under her breath. Putting the book down, she grabbed the copy of the crest and compared it to all of the ones in the book.

She found the page with the matching crest, and she then began to read the description of the family:

"The Dewin Family

This particular pureblood family was among the successful magical researchers, a trait that has been passed down since the elder family head, Howeld. Famous papers from the Dewin family include the studies of Monkshood, Boggarts and Their Phenomenon, Potions for Success, and many more.

Current living family members is unknown. Many believed the youngest son, Richard, was a Squib, and married another Squib, while others believe he was a victim of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

She gazed upon the pictures on the family tree, seeing physical traits passed down. She looked back at the photo album, noting the same traits on the man in them. Curious, she went to the living room, hunting for a current family photo album and opened it up to the latest pictures.

There was no way this was possible. Hermione looked at all the pictures side by side. There was no mistaking the hereditary nose, the curly hair, the knowledgeable eyes. Wanting to know more, she read further in the stacks of papers.

Many hours later, and her pot of coffee finished, Hermione had most of her questions answered. She looked at her parchment with the notes she took down, taking a deep breath while re-reading them. Her mind was still unable to grasp the concept, that both her parents are pureblood wizards, and was curious onto why they had left the world of magic behind.


	4. The Ministry

Hemione grew tired after her frantic readings and decided it was time for bed. She went upstairs to her room, cleaned it up for a bit, burning off the remainder of her coffee buzz.

In a state of exhaustion, she threw herself on the bed and crawled under the covers. Trying to get comfortable, she realized her pillow was just not right. She kept readjusting herself, unable to reach the ultimate comfort spot. Giving up, she stuck her hand inside the pillow case to feel for the offending object. Furrowing her brows, she pulled out an envelope. Tired of reading, she pushed through and opened it up.

The location. It was written neatly on the parchment. Hermione sighed. Of course it would have been in a semi obvious location. She was kicking herself mentally because of all the excess stress she put herself in. This would have to wait until the morning.

After a long and deep sleep, she woke well rested. She made herself breakfast and some coffee. She retrieved the Daily Prophet from the owl that was sitting on her window ledge impatiently. Once she was done, she took a piece of parchment and wrote a brief letter to Harry. Upstairs she went to take a brief shower and to change into something more professional before moving to do her errands of the day.

As she entered the dining room to grab a couple of the papers, her fireplace turned green, and Harry came running in.

"HERMIONE? WHERE ARE YOU?" she heard his voice as she rounded the corner.

"I am in the dining room. Why the urgency?" She asked curiously as she grabbed the papers she needed from the neatly organized piles, as well as a couple other objects.

"Your note only said you will be leaving soon... nothing else. I just wanted to know if you were okay?" Harry approached cautiously. He noticed how she was dressed, and waiting for her to respond.

"Actually, Harry, I found something... and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to the Ministry to find out more information. If you have other plans, that is fine by me. But I am leaving now," she mentioned as she made her way to the fireplace, to floo to the Ministry of Magic. She did not wait for a response as she threw the powder, and stepped through to the bustling Ministry.

She went to the large board with the directory of which floor contained which department. She was pondering which one to visit, when she heard the labored breaths from Harry as he stopped at her side.

"Mind telling me why you are in such a hurry?" He managed to let out before she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her. The two waited at the elevator, and entered in, taking it to the 8th floor. She looked up at the floating arrows directing her where to go, pulling Harry along to the left corridor.

Notes whizzed by over head, Harry ducking just in time to avoid a flock of them. He was curious on where they were going, but couldn't let his mind wander, as he was being dragged by a determined Hermione.

Finally, Hermione stopped at a receptionist desk. The young witch chewed her bubble gum loudly, almost as if making a show of how boring her job was. She flipped the pages of Witch Weekly, the glossy pictures moving quickly, and not once did she look up. Hermione cleared her throat, ready to face what was next.

"May I help you?" the reception witch asked flatly.

"Yes, I need to see if I can look at the magical records for my... um... friend." The witch, still reading her magazine, pointed down the hallway behind her and to the right.

"Go down this hallway, and make a left."

Hermione's heart raced as she moved down the next hallway. This was it, she would finally know why her parents left the magical world. The two friends stopped in front of a counter, where an older wizard was reading over multiple documents, the pile of incoming papers growing as stacks of papers on his desk were hardly growing in size.

"Excuse me sir," Hermione began softly, "I was wondering if I could have a look at the magical record for a couple?" The gentleman looked up, took off his glasses and began to clean them.

"Are you a relative?" He asked simply.

"I don't know. I am trying to figure that out. I have papers here..." she offered as she tried to explain herself. The man grabbed them softly, reading over trying to find the names to pull up. He stood up, wandered towards the massive filing cabinets behind him. Opening a drawer labeled "De" and searching for the name, Hermione held her breath. Harry eyed her cautiously, curious to who and what she was looking for.

"Ah ha!" The wizard exclaimed as he pulled out the file. He opened it up, reading the cover letter, and closed it quickly. He glanced at Hermione, a sad look in his eyes. "Unfortunately, I am unable to tell you anything in this file without either a written note from the individuals you are inquiring about, or their presence here."

Hermione's heart sank. She had to know. Walking out the building with a more relaxed pace, Harry felt this was the opportunity to ask what was going on.

"Hermione? Who were you looking for in the Magical Records Department?"

"I... I don't think you will believe me if I tell you..." Hermione led him towards a small cafe. They sat down, looking over the menu. Harry raised his eyebrow as he looked into the eyes of the witch.

"Try me." Hermione quickly diverted her gaze towards the menu. She let out a nervous giggle.

"So what are you thinking about getting?" She tried her best at changing the subject. She looked up at Harry, blushing slightly, knowing that he could see through her.

"Haven't decided yet... And you know better than try to avoid the question."

"I found my self note on where my parents are," she began, hoping that this would be a better topic to divert away from the main question. "I am thinking of leaving tomorrow to look for them. Do you feel that is too soon?" Harry's eyes widened as he looked at her.

"I... Uh... Hermione? You really found where they are? That is wonderful!" He reached over the small table and gave her hand a squeeze. "Leave when you are ready, if that is tomorrow, then so be it. Do you want anybody to go with you?"

"No! That's not necessary. Thank you for the generosity on it. I really don't want to make a big deal about this though, no good luck parties or anything... Please don't tell Molly..." Her mind began to dread what the witch could put together in such short notice, and she shuddered.

"I know what you mean," Harry stated with a chuckle of amusement, his mind thinking the same thing as hers. "Do you want me to tell everybody after you leave?"

That question stopped Hermione in her place for a moment. She did not know if she wanted everybody to know she was on her way to find her parents. Although, they were the ones to force her to do so. She could not decide at all, and she looked at Harry with a mildly panic stricken face. Harry chuckled a bit louder looking at her worry about telling Ron and Ginny.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything until you let me know that I can... Okay? Does that work?" Hermione only nodded, not trusting her own voice. The waitress came over, and asked for their order, and the two made small talk as they waited and ate their food.

Harry offered to take her back to her flat, but Hermione politely declined his offer. He understood her need to be alone before she left.

"Hermione, remember that Kingsley has arrangements for your travel, so he has to know. Do you want me to owl him for you?"

"Yes please, I just remembered I have to check in on something else before I leave." Hermione disaparated back to her flat, looking towards her fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo and throwing it into the fireplace. Stepping through, she dusted herself off.

"Hermione! I just finished and was about to send these back to you!" Colin Creevy beamed, holding a thick envelope in his hands. He handed over the envelope, wiping his brow off with the back of his hand. "I still can't believe you asked me of all people to develop these for you. There are some amazing pictures in here, and to imagine I only heard about most of these events!" Hermione's laugh rang in his ears as she held onto the envelope. His smile faded as he noticed she was not opening it. "Are you going to take a look at them?"

"Oh!" Hermione let out as she realized the pictures were still hidden. "I was actually going to wait to look at them. I trust you! I am sure they are amazing. Now that I think about it, I am going to have a party in a couple weeks, where I am going to reveal most of these, and I will be sure to have you there, since you ARE the one who developed them!" Hermione lied, regretting the words as they escaped her lips. Now she had to have a party as soon as she came home.

Thanking Colin, she quickly floo'd back home, and threw herself on the couch. It has been a long day, and she was not looking forward to what the morning was going to bring.


	5. International Floo Network

Hermione woke with a start early in the morning. She got up and looked out the window, thinking it was way too early for the sun was not even up. She took her time in the shower, getting dressed, eating and making sure her bag was packed accordingly. By the time all of this was done, only an hour and a half had passed, and she was still anxious and nervous as ever.

Grumbling to herself, she went on a long search for a piece of parchment and a quill. She knew exactly where there were some, but she was still in the mindset of wasting time. Unable to put it off any longer, she began her brief letter to Kingsley, stating she was going to be leaving that day. After convincing an owl to take the letter for her, she sat down on her couch, sipping slowly on her coffee, waiting for a response.

Minutes ticked by as slowly as hours. Every second she grew more and more impatient. Once her cup was empty, she charmed it off towards the kitchen, and figured it would help if she cleaned her apartment. Standing up to move towards the bathroom, she heard the tapping on the window. Sprinting to greet the owl, she tripped on numerous pieces of furniture. After taking the note and giving a treat to the owl, she paced back and forth, reading the short reply.

The International Floo Network would be ready in an hours time, enough time for her to message Harry to see her off, and yet enough time that she could possibly change her mind. Instantly, she flooed to Harry's place, needing him to make sure she stepped through the International Fireplace.

"Hermione... do you know what time it is?" Harry asked as he stumbled into the living room, clad only in a pair of boxers. Hermione looked at the time, it was only 6:45 in the morning, she didn't see anything wrong with that. She opened her mouth to speak, when she was cut off by Harry "Wait, you are leaving now? Hold on a minute!" he shouted as he ran into his bed room once more. He emerged fully clothed, and flooed with her to the International Floo Network.

Both of their eyes grew wide as they looked at the scene in front of them. Many massive fireplaces with officials standing by their sides, looking over something given from each witch and wizard who entered or left. Hermione was glad she had brought Harry, for he had more of an idea of what was going on than she did, seeing as he had to travel internationally for his Auror training, yet the scene always seemed to amaze him. She felt a tug on her arm as Harry pulled her over to the check in counter.

"We have an arrangement under Granger." He spoke clearly to the young wizard behind the counter. The wizard procured a scroll, to which he handed to Hermione directly. She unrolled it, seeing the page fill in with a wizard photograph of herself, as well as the information on where she was going. The return date was left blank, but there was a note to say to allow whenever needed. After thanking the wizard, Harry ushered her to the proper waiting area.

"Harry, I don't think I can do this!" Hermione cried out as they sat down on a bench, giving her time to breathe before she left. Harry squeezed her hand, reassuring her that all will be well. "A lot has changed... And I don't even know how I am going to break the news or the spell!" Tears began to well in her eyes, as Harry gave her a comforting hug.

"Hermione," he paused. There was no way to put the words of having to do something that you know you have to. His mind went to the Final Battle, how he dreaded making the steps towards him, knowing that the outcomes could be horrible. Hermione looked in his eyes, she knew what he was thinking. She sighed and stood up, her hand falling at her side.

"Just make sure I don't come back the instant I get there, okay?" Hermione managed to squeak out, afraid to say any more. Harry nodded and pulled her into a quick hug, walking with her as she stood in the short line before the fireplace with "Australia" written above it. She watched as people arrived then left, arrived then left. Before she knew it, it was finally her turn. Handing the scroll to the witch next to the gate, she turned and gave Harry a soft smile, letting him know she was alright. The witch threw in a handful of floo and gave the location for Hermione. Hesitantly, Hermione stepped forward, but not fast enough for the witch pushed her through.

Hermione stumbled out, falling on a man who had his back turned. Hermione felt embarrassed as she pulled herself up with the help of the wizard at the gate. He checked her scroll as she offered a hand to the gentleman who she landed upon. He turned and looked at her, his eyes meeting with hers. Something looked familiar in them, and he knew why. Hermione gasped. Her crash pillow was a handsome man.

"I... I'm so sorry!" she stammered out. He let out a soft chuckle at her embarrassment, and he knew at that moment she had no idea who he was. A grin broke out across his face as he extended his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I will let you make up for it by accompanying me for lunch." Hermione felt a blush spread rapidly across her cheeks. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sounds were made, so she shut her mouth quickly, nodding her head rapidly as the blush deepened. He smiled as he reached for her hand, to lead her away from the bustling crowd of the Austrailian International Floo Network.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," Hermione finally managed to say as they walked out in the sunlight. "My name is Hermione." She smiled softly as she looked into his steel eyes. She thought to herself that those eyes were eerily familiar, but she could not place where she knew them.

"Nice to meet you, Hermione. My name is... uh... D-Damien." He was relieved when he covered for himself. He wanted a fresh start, and this was it.

"Pleasure is all mine. I don't think I could ever stop feeling horrible for landing on you. I was not expecting to be shoved though the gate!" she said with a soft giggle at the end. Slowly she was relaxing in his presence. The two made casual small talk as they made their way to a very interesting restaurant off the main road. He pulled out her chair, like a perfect gentleman, and Hermione was taken by him instantly.

The two looked over their menu, and Hermione knew what she wanted almost instantly. She pretended to keep looking it over, but instead was looking over her new acquaintance. She was already smitten with his steely eyes, but his dark brown locks and luscious lips definitely made her mind wander to what else he had hidden. His jaw was strong, but not too strong, perfect in her mind. She could see the outline of his muscles, which she knew were there after her tumble. By the time she had started to think of dirtier things than falling on him in public, the waitress arrived. Both put in their orders, and the waitress took her menu. Now she had nothing to hide behind.

Damien's mind moved rapidly, how was he going to answer questions without giving away who he was. He decided finally to keep the conversation on her, instead of him. He glanced down at the muggle watch he was wearing, making sure he knew when he had to make his excuse to the restroom. Hermione took note of his watch, and instantly commented on it.

"Not many of our kind wear those, are you muggle-born?" Shit, he thought, this could ruin everything. Quick, thinking of something fast!

"Uh me? No. I am a pureblood. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the more interesting things they have out? Plus, I feel this one works better than procuring a sundial in the middle of a crowd." He chuckled, congratulating himself on a good save.

"True, especially when in the company of muggles," she pointed out. She wanted to know more, but knew it would have to wait. Their food had arrived and she did not realize how hungry she was until she smelled the aroma from her plate. The couple tucked into their food quickly, conversation temporarily halted for the moment. He checked his watch after his plate was cleared, realizing it was time.

"Pardon me for a moment, Hermione." He said as he got up and headed towards the restroom, pulling a flask from his jacket pocket. Hermione raised an eyebrow, was it just her, or did it seem as if his hair was getting lighter as he moved away. She shook the thought from her mind, he was a wizard, so who knew what was going. Minutes ticked by and she was afraid that he had abandoned her. The waitress arrived, asking if she wanted the dessert menu. Hermione shook her head, asking for the check instead. By the time she came back with the check, Damien had returned, taking the check quickly, before Hermione had a chance to look at the total.

"Here," Hermione offered money to help foot the bill. He chuckled and shook his head.

"No, I said you could make up for it by joining me for lunch, so I insist." He stood up and offered his hand to help her up. "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you have a place to stay?"


	6. Showers

Hermione was shocked by his question. "Do you have a place to stay?" rang in her mind for the following seconds as she processed her response. She did not know what she was going to do for a while, and he seemed like a nice enough guy to allow herself to stay with him. However, she just met him and doesn't know what kind of guy he really is.

Damien looked at her confused, it was taking her a while to respond. Hermione thought a little bit longer and realized she was a witch, and as long as she had her wand, she would be perfectly okay with it.

"No, Damien, I do not have a place to stay... I just got here, remember? You did catch my fall," Hermione blushed as she accepted his offer. She felt him let loose the breath he was holding while waiting for her response. He looked over and grinned at her.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't do anything, but um... you need to hold on okay?" He asked as he brought his arm around her waist, ready for apparation. He felt her delicate hands on his wrist and he brought the two of them into his flat he was staying at.

First impressions always stick in Hermione's mind. And from the first impressions of his flat, she felt more comfortable around him. Everything was in its own place, the large cherry bookcase was full of books organized by size perfectly on their shelves. The furniture was arranged perfectly in the living room, with a beautiful fireplace being the main feature of the room.

Damien chuckled lightly as she took in the beauty of the room. He walked out of the room into the kitchen and pulled out a couple mugs. "Hermione? Would you like coffee or tea?" he called out to her.

"Coffee please!" he heard her sweet voice respond back to him. He already knew she would want a coffee, and knew how she liked it too, but he had to hold back the urge to make the perfect cup for her. Levitating the cups just so, he brought in her coffee to her, as she was reading the titles of all the books in the bookcase.

"There are a lot of muggle books here," she whispered to herself. She jumped slightly when she saw the floating coffee next to her. She pulled her wand out and added the perfect amount of cream and sugar. "Thank you, and quite a display you have here."

"I'll be honest and say I have not read most of these, and that they are mostly for show. My mother likes to keep appearances, even if they may lead people to think otherwise." He stopped talking almost immediately. He feared he may have said too much, so he look a sheepish look towards her, checking her reaction.

"That's pretty common where I come from. I knew wizards who only befriended who their parents wanted them to, just to keep their images up." Hermione's mind wandered to all the witches and wizards she had met through her years at Hogwarts who would call her "mudblood" only because it was what their families would expect of them. But she knew better, some hated to do it.

Damien sighed a content sigh and faked a yawn. "It's getting late, would you like me to show you the bathroom and where you will stay, as well as where I am staying just in case you don't trust me or need me for something?"

"Sure, that would be lovely... It's been a pretty long day for me, so why not?" Hermione followed in his lead as he lead her down a hallway. There were beautiful paintings decorating the walls, each framed perfectly. Hermione leaned in close to see if she could recognize the signature when Damien pulled her into a room.

"This is the bathroom, there are extra towels in the cupboard over there. The room next to this one is your bedroom and mine the the one on the end. If you would like, I will allow you to take a shower first, just knock on my door when I am able to take one as well." He walked out of the room and shut the door, and she heard him lock it for her privacy.

Hermione figured it would be good to take a shower to remove the floo powder from herself as well as relax before bed. She was finally in Australia, without having Harry to bug her all the time. Hermione climbed in the shower and was enchanted with the tiles of the shower. Each one was heat sensitive and changed color depending on the temperature. The whole shower changed colors before her eyes, and she nearly forgot to wash her hair, as she was having fun touching tiles and making the water cold and hot, just to entertain herself.

She suddenly remembered she forgot to bring her shampoo or her body wash with her into the shower, so she had to summon it to her. Luckily she got her own, and not his. She washed her hair, loving how wonderful it felt to just massage her scalp, and wondered if the rest of her body would enjoy a firmer wash. Once her hair was rinsed fully, she lathered herself with her body wash, massaging all the spots that ached from stress. She rolled her neck around as she felt it loosen from the hot water and her touch. Her hands worked down her arms, and jumped to her belly. Slowly she lathered herself up towards her supple breasts, massaging them and teasing the nipples. She gasped in pleasure, something she was not expecting, and her mind instantly remembered the one thing she remembered to bring with her, just in case.

Eventually she hobbled out of the shower and dried off, brushed her teeth, and did a drying spell to the bathroom, to remove the steam she had created. She tiptoed down to Damien's room and tapped gently on the door. She heard something shifting from within, and figured it would be best to go into her own room to relax a bit more.

Hearing a gently tapping on the door, Damien knew it was time to take his shower. He hoisted himself off his bed and went to his closet to pick out a pair of sleep pants to wear after his shower. He shuffled slowly, tired from a long and eventful day. He went to knock on Hermione's door when he noticed it was slightly cracked. Instinct told him to just push it open enough to poke his head in to say good night, which he was about to, when he heard a soft gentle moan from the room.

Damien's eyes widened when he listened a bit closer and heard a gentle buzzing sound. He had an idea of what she was doing, and he felt what it was doing to him. He lightly pushed on the door, allowing it to open up just a tiny bit more so he could be able to see the bed.

There, he found his beautiful guest laying on top of the covers naked, teasing her nether regions with the strangest contraption he had ever seen. He watched as she pulled it away from her, and instantly realized it was a muggle vibrator. He watched as she continued to please herself with the device, and it was getting more and more painful for him to stand and watch.

He quickly moved into the bathroom silently, trying his best not to let her know he was there. He turned the water on in the shower and hoped in instantly. He allowed the warm water to run down his naked toned body. His hand moved down to his very errect phallus and he grabbed ahold. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to what was going on in the next room, eager to please himself as well.

He pictured himself in the room with her, with her knowing who he really was. Kisses would be trailed down her body, stopping at her soft and warm folds, where he would give one last kiss. Her hands would reach down and grab his shoulders, pulling his face up towards her. He would kiss her passionately, and just as he would break the kiss, she would beg with her eyes to him to continue. He would slide his hard cock deep inside her slowly, not to hurt her. He would shower her neck in kisses as he would begin to thrust his length fully, making her hips buck up to meet him for more. Her moans would drive him wild, and he would resist the urge to take her wildly. Her nails would dig into his back and she would come closer to her peak.

And he heard her orgasm.

And he too orgasmed.

Taking deep breaths, he realized that her finishing up in the next room pulled him back to reality. He quickly scrubbed the cum off his abs, and quickly soaped up and rinsed off. He dried himself up as well as the bathroom, pulled his pajama pants on and took a long look in the mirror.

He knew it was coming, so he gripped the bathroom sink, bracing himself for it. He forced himself to watch as his skin began to bubble, his dark hair turning lighter and lighter, a strong jaw bone emerging, and his eyes turning back to their original color. He shook his head in disgust. There was no way that she would want him like this, but this was who he really was. Would she believe he is different now? Questions raced through his mind as he contemplated telling her who he really was. Before he could make an idiot out of himself, he splashed cold water on his face.

"Not tonight, but soon. I cannot keep lying to her." He said to himself in the mirror. Taking a couple breaths to stabilize himself, he then left the bathroom and made the short trip to his room. He paused briefly at Hermione's door, peering in, only to see her alseep. "Good night, Angel," he whispered very quietly, knowing that his voice was not the same. He moved away and into his room, locking it securely, to make sure she could not discover the truth. Crawling into bed, he sighed once more, thinking of what had happened, hoping his shower fantasy could become reality.

Hermione rolled over when she heard something at the door. She caught a glimpse of what appeared to be light blonde hair moving away from the crack in the door. Could he have a roommate he forgot to tell me about? She then paled, realizing that the door was cracked that if there was a roommate, they could have just heard her whole session while Damien was in the shower. She made it a mental note to ask him in the morning, but part of her wanted to believe this was all a dream, and that she was really in her own flat.

But she was not so lucky.


	7. Errands

By the time Hermione woke up from a peaceful slumber, morning had come and gone. She glanced over at a clock on the bedside table to see it was well past noon. She rolled out of bed, headed to the bathroom, and ventured into the living room. She let an audible yawn escape, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Damien sitting on one of the couches grinning at her with two cups of coffee on the coffee table.

"Good morning, Hermione. I take it you slept well?" Damien asked pleasantly as he watched her add her cream and sugar to her cup. Just the simple act of watching her blow softly before sipping made him go crazy for her.

"I did, thank you." She dared herself to lock eyes with him, finding herself looking away the instant he intensified the gaze. A light blush played across her cheeks, thoughts racing to the possibility that either he or his "roommate" heard or saw her last night. She coughed nervously, trying to break the awkward silence that some how found its way into the room.

"So um... Do you have any plans for today?" Damien knew he would have to be the one to offer an escort around the area, or possibly see if she wanted time away from him. He longed for it to be the former, but had a feeling the latter was the likely situation.

"Actually, if you are not doing anything, I have a couple places I would like to go see. And I don't plan to be in Australia for long," she took a glance at him, noticing a slight change in his posture. "I came out here to find my family. I am sure you heard of the war we had back home in England, well, I am muggleborn. Not only that, but I was a primary target. You see, my best friend was none other than Harry Potter, so it was decided that we would send my parents into hiding." Damien did not look surprised, so she continued on. "However, I sent them away after I wiped their memory of magic and me, and after I sent them, I hid their location from myself. I found my reminder, and I am being told it is time to find them." Hermione took a deep breath. She finally let loose everything, letting him know why she was here.

"So once you find them, will you stay here in Australia, or will you go back to England?" Damien asked nonchalantly. He was pretty certain he knew the answer already, but just wanted to make sure, so he could plan accordingly.

"I was thinking I would go back home. I need to find them first, but I did leave pretty quickly to come here." She stood up, and suddenly remembered she was in her pajamas still, a deep blush crawling on her cheeks, "Pardon me a moment..." and she sprinted down the hall into her bedroom.

Hermione rushed to her beaded bag, opening it up and immediately began a search for something to wear. Everything she had encountered were not suited for a potential date day with an amazing man, but she managed to find something to fit the occasion. She quickly changed, looked in the mirror, and muttered a string of charms to fix her hair perfectly, apply a light make-up, and a few others just in case. Putting on a cute pair of shoes, she managed to return to the living room 5 minutes after she left. Thanking magic in her head, she realized the living room was empty.

"Damien?" She called out, moving towards a doorway she had not yet ventured past. Looking in, she saw an elaborate kitchen. Once more she was in awe, running her fingers along the top of the marble countertops. Lost in her thoughts, she did not hear the footsteps approaching her from behind.

"Why, you look lovely!" Damien confessed as he greeted her, bringing back her attention. "Are you ready to get started?" Hermione only nodded. Giving her a soft smile, he extended his arm to her. "What would you like to do?" She pondered for a moment, before she moved towards him.

"I want to find my parents," she confessed. "I don't mean to reintroduce myself to them, I just want to locate them, so I know where to go when I am ready to try and change things back." She knew this would be for the best, and did not want to procrastinate too much, or else Harry would be finding her and dragging her to them.

"Do you know where to look?"

"Um... Let's start with where my self note starts?" She rummaged through her beaded bag, pulling out her folder with all her important papers, selecting the one she was looking for. Handing it over to Damien, he took one look at it and handed it back to her.

"You ready?" He held out his arm again, making sure she held on firmly. "Let's go!" Instantly they disaparated from his place and into a safe spot by a quiet residential area. He lead the way, steering her along, making sure she would not turn and run. Passing four houses, they finally reached the address written on the paper. Damien stopped to look at it, when Hermione realized this was it.

Looking at the house, it had similar touches to the one she grew up in London, there was a bird house looking mailbox that was made by her father and painted by her mother, a perfect lawn, and beautiful flowers perfectly trimmed. Seeing all of this made her long for her family to be back together in London, relaxing together and not worrying about a thing. Hermione felt a nudge from Damien, who motioned with his head to the large front window. The curtains were open, and she was able to see the couple inside, recognizing them as her parents. Both of them looked so happy and so in love, as if they were young and newly wed all over again. Sadness ripped through Hermione's heart, knowing she would have to break this false illusion and bring them back to who they once were.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried her best to not let them fall. Damien heard the change in her breath and turned to look at her. "Do you want to go? We can go get a bite to eat, maybe go shopping for clothes? How about a new book?" He chuckled when her eyes lit up to the prospects of going to an Australian bookstore. "C'mon, I know the perfect place." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug, aparating to a bookstore in Wizarding Sydney.

There was a magical chime that rang when they aparated into the "entry area" near the door. Hermione practically ran to the nearest display, making an array of sounds, ranging from the normal oooh and ahhs to the excited gasps and "oh my goodness!" Damien sat back and watched her move to the second story of the building.

An hour later, Hermione had a small stack of books in her arms, and a broad grin across her face. "Let's see what you have found here... A book on the Australian History of Magic, Magical Australia's Who's Who, and several books on Aborigine Magic and Charms. Interesting choice, but I can see you just want to learn more." As he read each title, he moved the book into his own arms, helping her take them to the registers to check out.

"Oh shoot! I have not had time to convert my money!" Hermione groaned. How could she had been so stupid! Now she would have to go and put the books away and come back for them once she changes her currency around.

"Don't worry about it, make this my gift to you." Damien continued to the registers. The instant that had left his mouth, it donned on him why that was not such a good idea. He looked over with a glimmer of hope it would be the usual clerk working, who knew where to withdrawal the money, but of course he was not so lucky. This looked to be a new clerk, one he had not seen before, and he had his fingers crossed that he could write it down and not have to say it out loud.

There were a couple people in front of them, and Damien could not be more pleased. He knew he had to tell her, but did not want this to be the way she found out. He pulled out his wallet, only to see nothing was there. Time seemed to pass quickly as it was finally their turn. Hermione smiled at him when the books were being checked out, yet he could feel the sweat began to run. This was not what he had planned, not what he was wanting to happen.

The clerk finished ringing up the purchase, and gave the total for the books. Damien looked around for a quill and parchment to write the account information down, but none was to be seen.

"Will this be withdrawn from your vault or will you pay now?" the clerk asked sweetly. It was now or never, Damien thought. She would have to know eventually. Taking a deep breath, he took the leap.

"From my vault."

"And can I get the vault number?"

Damien sighed a sigh of relief. This could have been worse, but she only needed the number! "Vault number 423." The clerk nodded her head in comprehension, doing the transfer of funds. He was glad he was able to dodge everything. He smiled back at Hermione, who was bouncing with excitement. The clerk handed over the bag with her new books, and she took them with great pleasure.

The two headed towards the door, he now was free to tell her how he wanted to. Nothing could stop him now. All he had left was to plan it perfectly. The moment the door opened, the clerk came yelling.

"Wait! Mister Malfoy! I need to get a signature from you verifying the purchase!"

"Shit!" he muttered under his breath, hoping that Hermione did not hear her. Quickly, he signed the slip of parchment, and exited the store. He did not see Hermione instantly, and when he turned to look for her, there she was, wand pointed at his chest.

"Mister Malfoy?" She questioned. She was not going to back down. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

Damien looked at her calmly as he cautiously walked closer to her. "Let's talk about this back at my place, shall we?" He grabbed her arm and aparated back to his place. Hermione forced herself free from his hand the moment they arrive, and once more stood her ground.

"Ok Malfoy, spill."


	8. Veritaserum

"You better spill, Malfoy!" Hermione demanded as her wand was still pointed at his chest. She glared at him, there better be a good explanation behind this.

"I... I... I am a Malfoy, yes... but um... Damien Malfoy," he said, his voice wavering. Maybe he can get her to believe he was a cousin.

"Just a Malfoy? How dumb do you really think I am?" She was furious.

"What? You don't believe me? I never did give you my last name. And now you are getting angry because you learned it?" How about he play ignorant of the Malfoy family in England, surely she has not had enough time to read the whole Who's Who for the Australian wizarding world.

Hermione let out an angry huff. "Ok, answer me this, do you have a roommate?" This would solve it!

"A roommate? Here? No! I only have my bed room, the room you were in, and an office. Why would I have a ro-" he stopped in mid thought. She could not have seen him last night, he was careful and she was asleep!

"Then, Mr. Damien Malfoy, who was that blonde hair gentleman I saw last night peering into my room?" Shit! She did see him. He had to play this cool, but had no idea now.

"Are you sure it was not a ghost?"

"I don't know, this is your place, you should tell me if there are ghosts or not. He seemed pretty solid if you ask me." Hermione stretched her neck. She had to know the truth. This guy knows where her parents are. Just because Voldemort was gone, it does not mean that all his followers have given up on him, just like the last time he had vanished. "How about this, since you are not helping matters at all. How about I give you a little bit of veritaserum, and we will finish this once and for all."

"Seriously? I don't have any around here, there is no need to carry it around." He let out a nervous laugh, he prayed that she was bluffing.

"I do!" She reached into her purse, pulling out a vial. She held it out to him, raising her eyebrows as if to challenge him to take it. "If you have nothing to hide, you would take it. Even if you did, I would rather you still take it just so I know if I can trust you." She added a sly smile at the end.

He took the bottle from her hands, and stared at it for a while. He looked up at her, her wand still focused in on him. Even if he did not drink it and came clean, she would not believe him nor trust him. After talking to her like strangers, he did not want to lose that trust, and he liked where things were going. Sighing, he pulled the stopper out of the bottle, and drank half. He handed the bottle back to her. "Ready."

"Who is Damien Malfoy?"

"My little brother who died at age 2." Hermione felt a little hurt hearing this. Poor guy, using his brothers name.

"Who are you?" She had a feeling she knew who, but wanted to know for certain.

"Draco Malfoy." Anger flared up in her. Of all people, he would have know better than to offer his home to her.

"You do not look like him, why?" Now that she knew it was Draco, she had a feeling she knew the answer to this one, but just wanted to be certain.

"I am using a polyjuice potion."

"Who does your form belong to?"

"A guy who lives here. I offered him 200 galleons just to let me pretend to be him, and he cut his hair short just to give me enough hair to last." Hermione was disgusted. He was spying on her.

"Who made you do this?"

"Harry Potter. He said it would repay the debt I had for all of you guys saving my life. He wanted me to make sure you did everything you needed to in order to bring your family back home, or at least restore their memory. He said if you did not do it, I was to finish the task. He doesn't want your parents to not know you exist, he knows how much it kills you." Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes when he said this. She lowered her wand, she was already vulnerable. She sat down roughly on the couch, and put her head in her hands as she cried.

Draco looked over at her. He was still under the effects of veritaserum, and knew everything he would say would be nothing but the truth. He figured now would be a good time to confess other things he has had on his mind.

"Don't cry, Hermione. This past two days have been wonderful, it was great to learn who you are, other than what I thought you were in school. I am sorry if I hurt you, but I wanted to let you know that I am willing to try to be a good friend to you." He sat down next to her, putting his hand on her back, rubbing circles to try and calm her down. Feeling his touch, Hermione threw her arms around him and sobbed.

"There you go. Calm down now. I didn't mean to upset you. I promise I was going to tell you, I just was scared. I mean seriously, did you see how you greeted me at outside the bookstore?" she managed a small giggle. "I was afraid you would not wait to hear me out. That's why I was under the polyjuice. Trust me, Hermione, I jumped at the offer from Harry. When you guys saved me from myself, I saw something different in you, and I wanted every chance I could get to get closer to you. This was how I was planning to do it. Only, things did not go according to plan, and here we are."

"So it was you who I saw last night, checking in on me before you went to bed?" She whispered into his chest.

"Yes, that was me. And I um..." Draco could feel the words coming out of his mouth, and he did everything he could to stop them, but the veritaserum made it impossible, "I overheard, and kinda saw, you last night after your shower in your room... and..."

"YOU HEARD AND SAW THAT?" Hermione pushed herself away as fast as possible. She felt her cheeks burn with a blush, and looked over to see Damien's face blushing as well.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to say good night to you, but you were a little occupied. So I took my shower and said good night later. Oh no! Owch! Look away, please!" Hermione diverted her eyes the instant his skin began to bubble and he felt the transformation into his own skin. "You can look now."

Hermione turned to look at him, tears still in her eyes. She locked eyes with the steel eyes she once knew to be cold, now they shone with a brilliance, emotion. Without thinking, her hand reached up to stroke his pale cheek, he closed his eyes to focus on her touch. She traced a line down his jaw bone to his chin, slowly moving her fingers up to brush against his lips. She pulled her hand away, hovering it close to his cheek again. Her hand moved upward to touch his light blonde hair, feeling it was silky soft. She ran her fingers through it, watching as it flowed around her fingers, looking like it never would tangle. Her hand moved to the back of his head, where she stopped. She closed her eyes to calm down, even though her crying had become silent.

Draco took this moment to reach up and wipe away her tears with his thumb. He caressed her face lightly, moving his hand to her chin. He tilted it upwards, and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips, so light she barely noticed. Her eyes fluttered opened, yet he was still close to her. He looked into her chocolate eyes, and kissed her again, this time tenderly. Next thing he knew, she returned his kiss with a tender tearstained kiss.

His mind wandered to his fantasy he had in the shower, hoping it would come true sometime soon. He gazed into her eyes, her tears finally stopped falling. He smiled gently, making sure it did not come off as his signature smirk. "Hermione," he breathed out, his lips still close to hers.

And something snapped in Hermione's mind. Her eyes grew wide, and she pushed herself away. She stood up, grabbing her bags, walking quickly to the door.

"Wait!" Draco called out, chasing after her, reaching the door before she could.

"I am supposed to be angry at you, not sitting here kissing you!" Her voice wavered, sounding hurt in his ears.

"Where will you go? You have a place here with me, and I am willing to give you your distance if you need it. Just don't leave."

Hermione was unsure if the veritaserum had worn off. It should have by now. But for some reason, she was willing to believe every word he had said. Did he charm her? She let our a defeated sigh, and looked up at him. Writ across his face was a look of fear, fear of what? That she would walk out that door and never return, or he would never see her again? Or maybe Harry threatened his life or freedom if he failed.

"Ok, I will stay. Just under one condition." Draco pulled a puzzled face, unsure of what her condition would be, because he had already offered giving her space.

"Go with me every time I try to talk to my parents. I need help, yet I am too ashamed to call up Harry to have him come over and help me." Hermione hung her head, unable to look up at him, for she was showing her weak side to him.

"Of course I will. We will go for a walk every day by their place, and when you feel brave enough, we can go talk to them. Will that work for you?"

Hermione took a deep breath. She knew this had to be done, and heard straight from Draco's lips that he was told to finish the job if she would not do it. And he was only offering his help, like she asked him. All she could do was nod, afraid to speak again due to the threat of tears.

Draco slowly approached her, putting an arm softly around her waist, and lead her back to the couch. He sat her down, and walked to the painting above the fireplace.

"I have a surprise for you." He said as he slowly took down the painting. Behind it was a large flat screen television. "Harry said this might come in handy, said you might want to have some muggle comforts. Mind showing me what it is and how it works?"

Hermione let out a giggle as he sat down next to her, handing her the remote controls for the entertainment system. She pushed the power button and everything came to life. "Sure, are you ready to see how I grew up while you were learning to fly your mini broom?"


	9. Confessions

Days turned into weeks while Draco and Hermione learned to live with one another. They spent hours upon hours talking about their lives, giving light to their versions of Hogwarts. Draco learned that even though she was a part of the Golden Trio, Hermione still dealt with many other hardships in her life as well. Hermione learned that the life of a pureblooded heir was rather hectic and chaotic.

Draco knew she needed a push to do this, but did not want to seem like he wanted it to be the end of everything. He would ask every morning if she wanted to visit her family. Some days she would say yes, and just stand there watching them, other days she would say no, and would go sight seeing around Australia. It finally reached two months of avoiding it, and he decided it was time.

"Hermione, you need to do this, so either you do it, or I will." Hermione looked up from her morning coffee at him, her jaw slack from not expecting this. She closed her mouth, thinking of what to say.

"I know."

"Will you talk to them first, or just undo the charm?"

"To be honest, I have not thought about it. Part of me wants to get it over with, while the other part wants me to talk with them first, then figure it out."

"You need to figure it out by the time we get there."

Silently, the two got up off the couch and went to get ready. Hermione made sure her beaded bag had everything she needed, as well as double checking the books for the proper way to perform the charm she needed to do. Grabbing a light jacket, she looped her arm in his and they apparated away.

They walked the familiar path towards the house, and she paused where she did every time. Draco's hand found her and he gave it a little squeeze. She looked into his eyes, and he gave her an approving nod. One deep breath later, she was walking slowly up the walkway to the front door. Her hand reached for the door bell, but she pulled it away. Draco saw this, and pressed the door bell himself. Once more his hand squeezed hers as she thought to turn and run.

Why was she so scared? These were her own parents, for crying out loud! Hermione mentally prepared herself while waiting for the door to open. She began to fidget nervously, anticipation killing her for wanting this whole thing to be over.

The door slowly opened, and she was soon face to face with her mother.

"Hello? May I help you?" Her mother asked as she looked upon the two in front of her.

"Um..." Hermione froze. She did not know how to do this. She looked quickly at Draco, who then took charge of things.

"Hello Ma'am, is your husband home? We have something we would like to discuss with the two of you."

"Why yes, please, come in!" She lead the way to the living room, as she called out for her husband to join them. Hermione looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. Even though she wiped their memory of all magic and her, they still had the same tastes in furnishings. She let out a soft smile, and sat down on a couch that looked as if it could be in their old house back in England. Hermione's father entered and sat down next to his wife.

"Pardon me, but do you have a restroom I could use for a second?" Draco asked softly. Hermione looked at him as if he were crazy, but his look in return was a reassuring one. Hermione's mother told him the directions to take, and he went down the hallway. Hermione sat there, alone on the couch, wringing her hands, unsure of how to start this conversation or how to integrate the charm.

"So... um... How are you two doing this lovely day?" her voice squeaked out.

"Just lovely, we were planning on going out to a lovely dinner tonight," her mother responded. Her father put his arm lovingly around her shoulders, and she kissed his cheek. They looked so happy not knowing, Hermione was getting cold feet, wanting to just forget everything. "Do we need to wait for your partner, or can you start to tell us what is going on?"

"Well, I gu-" Hermione looked at her hands, unable to make eye contact with her parents who did not even recognize her anymore.

"OH! Where am I?" Her mother shrieked!

"Hermione, what on earth is going on?" her father demanded. At this moment, Draco came walking into the living room, as if nothing has happened.

"Ah yes, hello Mr. and Mrs Granger. I believe we need to have a long talk right about now." Draco started. Hermione looked at him in disbelief. He leaned in to her and whispered in her ear "I knew you would not be able to do it, I have been reading your books too, so I did it for you. Forgive me?" She shot him a glare, and looked towards her parents.

"Mom. Dad. The war is over. Many people died, many good people have died. But we won. He-who-must-not-be-named has been defeated, and it is safe for my kind to live their lives. I am sorry that I had to remove your memory of me and magic. It was the only way to keep you safe, as well as sending you here, Australia. Yes, I know. I should have talked this over with you guys, but I couldn't risk our conversation being over heard, or you two getting tracked, or getting one of our letters intercepted and them getting to me. But there is nothing to fear now! I am alive, Harry and Ron too! We should go back home, to England."

The only set of dry eyes were Draco's, who looked a tad bit awkward as the family embraced and cried. He cleared his throat to remind everybody that he was still there.

"Um... Mom... Dad... While I was looking for the note I left for myself to remind me where I hid you two... I found something in the attic." Her dad looked at his wife, and took a deep breath. He knew this day would come, and was very reluctant to have this conversation.

"'Mione, sweetie, you technically have been safe the whole time, yet you didn't know it." Draco's eyebrow raised in interest mixed with confusion. "Your mother and I are both Squibs. We raised you as a muggle because we could not stand the shame we put onto both our families, and we did not want to provide anymore disappointment to them. The family pretended we just disappeared, because it was a common thing to do. Some witches and wizards moved to other countries, while many stayed in the area to flaunt. We just hid out in the muggle world, blending in with everybody else."

"So, when I took you guys to Diagon Alley for the first time... it really wasn't? You two were never impressed?"

"Oh honey!" Her mother cried out. "We were always proud of you! When you were born, we did not know if you were going to have magic or not. Part of us wished you would not have it, so we could just go on like a normal muggle family. But when you showed your first signs of magic, we knew that we would have to play along, just for your sake. We are sorry we never told you sooner, but it is easier to have been know as a muggle-born instead of the daughter of two Squibs!"

Draco looked at the family, in shock of what was going on. He was not expecting to find out that this woman he accompanied here, who he bullied all throughout school for being muggle-born, was a pureblood like himself. He watched as Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out a book and some papers.

"I just... I have to know. Is this our family? Am I really a Dewin?" Both her parents looked at each other and looked back at her, slowly nodding at the same time. "I went to look at the Magical Records before I came here to look for you two. The gentleman said I was not allowed to view it. What did you guys do to get it so that the only people who could look at it, besides the Ministry, was you two?"

"We had a feeling, with how bright of a witch you were, that you would try to figure it out, or one of your young friends might have and you would have gone asking. We asked them not to show it unless we gave you a note or were with you. We are truly sorry, sweetie. But we had to do it."

"I... I think I am going to go now." Hermione said as she stood up to leave.

"Come back tomorrow, please?" her mother pleaded. "We need to get back home, and then we can talk more about this, even take a trip to Diagon Alley, so we can show you things you never knew."

Hermione only nodded as she walked out the door. Draco said a brief thank you and good bye before chasing after the young and distraught witch.

"HERMIONE!" He yelled as she began to run towards the apparation point. "Please! Wait!" She stopped, and turned to face him. He reached out and grabbed her, as she apparated back to the house they were staying at, and ran into her room. "Hermione!" He banged on the door. "Please talk to me." He heard nothing, and figured she put up a silencing spell.

"Damn it Hermione. I am not here to tell you what to do, I just only wish you would talk to me. I wish you would have warned me about this before you jumped into it. A little preparation would have been nice," he chuckled too himself. He sat down, putting his back on the door. "You can trust me. I know that is a little hard to believe after I did lie about who I was to get you here, but my intentions are all good. After these past couple weeks of getting to know the real you, I have taken quite a liking to you. I find that I can't stop thinking about you. When you are not here, or when you lock yourself in your room, I worry. I fear I may have done something wrong, done something to make you hate me. I don't want you to hate me. I really don't. If I could... I would take back everything I did to you at Hogwarts. Hell, if we both knew you were a pureblood, things could have been much different. But pureblood or muggle-born, you are still amazing, and you have taken over my thoughts. I just wish you would let me comfort you. This could be a good thing. But, you probably have a silencing charm up, and I may have just wasted my breath. I only want you to know I want more out of our friendship. But I don't have the guts to say it to your face, so I say it to a door, a lovely piece of wood. Maybe one day I will be able to say this to you and get the courage to ask you to be mine. But until then, I guess I will go back to longing for more."

Draco sighed and got up, walking to his bedroom. He shut the door, falling onto his bed. Little did he know, on the other side of the door, Hermione was sitting against it, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to his confession. She opened the door just a moment too late.

"Draco," she whispered "Me too."


	10. Slipups

Hermione woke up slowly. The events of the previous day mulled through her mind, and after a while, she decided it was time to go get something to eat. She hauled herself out of her bed and exited her room, without thinking about changing. On her way down the hall, she heard a noise emanating from the kitchen.

The closer she got, the clearer it sounded. She heard a radio playing, and a male voice singing along with it. She stopped at the doorway to see Draco singing and dancing to the music, while preparing a breakfast. Upon further investigation, she saw that breakfast was cooking itself while he was getting plates to eat off of.

A smile broke across his face as he shook his butt to the music while he poured two cups of coffee. A similar smile spread across her face when she watched him put the perfect amount of cream and sugar into her cup. She snuck up to the breakfast bar, making sure he did not hear or see her. Draco charmed the plates to float and set themselves on the bar, and he went to pick the mugs of coffee himself.

The song changed to a slower one, and Hermione closed her eyes to just soak in the atmosphere. She jumped when she felt his hand touch on her shoulder. She looked towards him, his hand was extended, an offer to dance. Blushing, Hermione accepted and stood to dance with him. He pulled her in close, her hand in his, resting his other hand on the curve of her lower back. Leading her across the kitchen floor, she realized he was singing along, looking right at her. She found herself getting lost in him.

As if almost on cue, there was a dramatic musical break in the song, and out of impulse, Draco leaned in and kissed her. Passion pulled at her heart and she returned his kiss with a burning desire. The lyrics resumed, yet the two never broke apart, the dancing stopped. Slowly, Hermione knew she would have to stop this, and began to break the kiss, trailing off into smaller ones, and pulled herself away. Sitting back down, she began to taste the food he had prepared for her. Draco stood there, feeling rejected, and slowly walked to the bar and sat down to eat with her.

The silence was heavy. Neither wanted to break it, save the sounds of the forks hitting the plates. Hermione eventually dared to look over, realizing that Draco was gazing at her. Once he realized she looked over, he diverted his eyes, and hid from her by going to refill the cups of coffee.

"I heard everything you said last night," she stated when he was as far as he would go. Draco froze mid pour, coffee overflowing onto the countertop. He muttered a cuss and then charmed the coffee into the mugs and back into the pot. He turned around, jaw still slack from finding out that she had heard it all.

"You... you heard?"

"Of course I heard! I went into the hallway to try to talk with you, but you were not there when I opened the door." Hermione confessed. She refused to look up from the coffee that Draco handed her, afraid her eyes would convey everything she was thinking.

"I... I don't know what to say to this?" Draco was speechless.

"I doubt there is much left for you to say. You said it all last night. The only person who has anything left to say would be me." She dared herself to look over at him, with his hands in his hair, stress drawn all over him. "I wish I knew all along and that my family did not have to lie to me. I wish I was able to grow up like you, knowing the ins and outs of the wizarding world. Maybe I would have been better adapted and people would have liked me more. It hurts knowing that I worked so hard to try to fit in, and it turned against me. You of all people hated me because of who I thought I was and how I was a 'Know-it-all' and a Gryffindor. Ever since I figured it out, and came here to confront them, I picture how it would have been different. Maybe I would have been in Ravenclaw like my family. Maybe you and I would have been civil to each other, instead of constantly attacking one another in the halls. And now, I have seen you while you are vulnerable, and you have seen me. So please, Draco, tell me. Where do we go from here?"

She looked at him, her eyes pleading for an answer she was not sure would come. After waiting long enough, she sighed, turning away from him. That was all the answer she needed, and it hurt her to think more upon it. Turning to go get ready for the day ahead of her, she felt him grab her arm, forcing her to turn and face him.

"Hermione, why do you ask what I want? You know what I want, you said you heard it all. Please, tell me, what do you want?" Tears filled both of their eyes, waiting for an answer, and unwilling to move. Stubborn pride, both had it.

"I want it all. I want to be happy, to know what it's like to be a pureblood. I want to bring my family name back into light. I want to wake up knowing everything is going to be alright and I don't have to fear anything ever again. And I just want to be loved by somebody who isn't afraid I am going to fall apart. I just want to be like everybody else!" She starred into is eyes, a sense of longing, unable to say what she wants to. With a heavy sigh, wiping tears from her eyes, she rose and left the kitchen, dragging her feet to her room.

Softly, she closed the door and leaned up against it and cried hard. She did not care if he heard her or not. She conjured up a box of tissues, and walked up to her bed and threw herself down onto it. Part of her wished this never had happened, that Harry could trust her to do the right thing and not have sent him. He threw her whole plan off, and now she doesn't even want to follow through with what she had to do today.

Hermione was startled from her cry by a knock at the door. "Mione, can I come in?"

"Sure." Draco walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed. He took a deep breath and looked at her. Everything about her made him want to hold her to stop her from crying. A soft sigh, he moved over and pulled her into his arms. Hermione began to calm down, feeling protected and comforted in his strong arms. She found herself wrapping her arms around him, nuzzling in to his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Time stopped, or so it seemed. Draco whispered caring words to her, kissing the top of her head, and before he knew it, she was asleep in his arms. He then leaned back against her headboard and took a nap, holding her tightly.

Hours later, Hermione stirred. Something felt different. She looked around her to realize that she was laying in his arms, and he too was asleep. She wanted to move, she had too. This was not right. She tried her best to get up without waking him, but before she knew it, he was stirring as well.

"Feeling better?" Draco asked, voice still rough from the nap. Hermione smiled, his hair was no longer laying perfectly. She grabbed her wand and pointed it at his hair, getting ready to mutter a charm to fix it back. "WHOA! DON'T HURT ME!"

"Sit still!" she giggled as she said the charm. "Your hair looked crazy, I was just fixing it for you." Hermione turned to walk to her dresser, looking for what to wear to the meeting with her parents. Unable to make a decision, she closed her eyes and reached into a drawer blindly, pulling out something at random. She went to put it on, when she remembered Draco was still in her room. "Could you... um..."

"Oh! Right, we have plans today." He stood and walked out the door, looking over his shoulder at the witch. He closed the door, a grin spread across his face. Walking into his room, he changed his clothes. He looked into the mirror briefly, and noticed how his hair was laying perfectly. He ran his fingers through it, and it fell right back into place. The signature smirk showed, and he couldn't help but want to thank her.

In the living room, Hermione was already waiting to go. She stood up, and headed to the door, holding the door open for Draco. The two walked silently to their apparation point, and apparated without word. They arrived to their point, and before they moved, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand, turning her to face him.

"I know your parents might ask. I think they deserve an answer. I will let you decide what you want to call this, and I will stand by it. Okay?" Hermione nodded, unsure of what to say, and then lead the way to the house.

A quick knock on the door, and it was answered almost instantly. Her mother ushered the two in, offering something to drink as they went. Saying yes to some tea, they sat down, a little closer to each other than anticipated. Her mother and father walked in, tea in hand, and sat down facing them. Hermione starred into her mug, and felt Draco's hand touch her knee. She looked up, and noticed everybody was looking at her.

"I was just asking Draco if the two of you thought of how we are all going to go back home. Do you have any ideas?" her father asked.

"I could ask Harry, he said I was not allowed to come back without you two, so I am sure he has something prepared." Hermione reached into her beaded purse and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Harry, and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Harry? It's Hermione. I... I am ready to come home, with my parents. Do you have an idea to bring them too?"

"Do you have a floo available?"

"Not at my parents place, but Draco has floo set up."

"Dra-Draco? You... you know about... nevermind, can he go over and pick up something I am going to floo?" Hermione relayed the message, and Draco nodded, apparating right there. "Listen, Hermione, I want to explain-"

"Save it, Harry. We will talk when I get home. Did he arrive yet?"

"Yea, he should be getting back shortly." And before the sentence was finished, Hermione heard the all too familiar pop, turning to Draco. "Ah, good. Draco has a set of passports for your family to use the International Floo. To be honest, Kingsley had them ready and said that you would need them, but I did not know muggles could use the floo, but he assured me it was ok." Hermione could tell he was confused.

"Ok, thanks Harry. We will be home shortly, so don't worry. I will send an owl when I am ready to discuss important matters." Hermione hung up the phone without saying good-bye, and turned to her audience at hand. Walking to Draco, she took the passports from him, handing them to her parents. "We will leave tomorrow morning, enough time to pack, and take care of last minute things. I am going back to where I am staying to pack everything, and I will come back to help you."

"Oh, Hermione. We will be fine. There are a few spells we can do, and packing is one. We can leave sooner if you like," her mother said.

"No, I would rather wait until tomorrow." And she turned out the door, Draco trailing after her. He caught up to her, and grabbed her arm just in time as she apparated. Caught off balance, Hermione fell to the ground, pulling Draco on top of her.

"Hello there," he said with a smirk. Hermione was unable to resist him, and just smiled shyly. Draco had not felt more content, and he just leaned in to kiss her. "Mione, can we simplify this?"

"Wha-What do you mean?" Hermione asked, still feeling the kiss on her lips.

"I don't want to be confused on where we stand. I am so happy with you, and this," he motioned between them, "this feels natural. So what do you say? Will you be mine?"

Laying there on the floor of their place, Hermione was speechless. She looked at him, trying to put words to what she was thinking. Taking a deep breath, she answered his question.


	11. Homecoming

In the morning, Hermione woke up, and packed her entire room up within a few seconds. She grabbed her beaded bag, reaching in to make sure she had all her documents for travel. Once she was dressed and ready to go, she went to Draco's room, knocking on the door.

Grinning broadly, Draco opened the door, holding his leather satchel in his hand. He headed to the kitchen, Hermione in tow, and made a quick breakfast. After they finished, the did one last walkthrough of the place, making sure they did not forget anything, and then they took the all too familiar journey to the house her parents were living in.

Before they had a chance to knock on the door, the door opened, and her parents let them inside, where Hermione saw two suitcases for each of them. Hermione chuckled, and charmed their luggage to fit into a small bag, one for each of them. Draco requested everybody hold hands, and he apparated them all to the International Floo Department.

Very quickly, the group found the fireplace they were to use. They opted to go as a group, making only one trip, and making sure her parents did not get separated. Once they were safely back in England, Hermione grabbed a hold of everybody, and apparated back to her parents house, the home she grew up in.

Mr. and Mrs Granger were happy to see their home once more. The two set down their bags, and Hermione restored them to full size, and set them to float up to their room. The two were happy to be home, and walked through out the house, talking softly to each other about all the memories they had there. Before the rounded the corner, Hermione saw her father pull her mother into a hug, and give her a passionate kiss. Diverting her gaze, she looked at Draco, almost forgetting he was there.

"Come on, let's go." she said quietly. Hermione grabbed his hand, and they soon apparated to her flat. The instant they arrived, Hermione ran to her bedroom. Seeing her bed, she fell onto it. Feeling the comfort of it, she reached for her beaded bag and began to unpack everything.

Draco wandered through her flat, looking at all the pictures she had hanging around the place. Many of her with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and some others he recognized from school. He never did realize where Hermione ran off to, but he walked around, and found a door partially closed. He pushed it open, to see her pulling books and clothes out of her bag.

"Need some help?" he offered as he entered her room.

"Sure! Here," Hermione handed him a stack of books, and he began to chuckle.

"You pack like a witch and unpack like a muggle!" Draco pulled out his wand, and charmed all the books, all her clothes, and everything on her bed to go to their respective places. Hermione glared at him, but the glare slowly changed into a smile when he walked closer to her. He sat down close to her, when she heard a tapping on the window.

Sighing, she stood up to greet the owl at the window. Pulling the letter off, the owl took off, and disappeared into the horizon. Reading the letter, her face paled. Draco rushed over, seeing her look a bit woozy. He grabbed the letter and read it for himself. No sooner than he finished, there was a pop in the living room.

Hermione ran out to the living room, to be greeted by Harry.

"I am so sorry I never told you! You have to understand that I only mea-" Harry stopped when Draco entered the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure Hermione made it home alright. What are you doing here?"

"I came to apologize to Hermione about making you keep an eye on her. I was not expecting more than just her here."

"It's okay, Harry. I wanted to thank you for it. It was a nice gesture. I will admit that I was mad at first, because of how little faith you had in me, but if it was not for Draco, I would still be trying to find the courage to talk to them. I don't know if he told you or not, but he was the one who undid the charm, since I was in a minor state of shock."

Harry looked at both Hermione and Draco. Feeling awkward, he turned to give Hermione a hug. "I think I will come back another time. Let me know when we can talk about things. Maybe something a little more private."

Draco laughed, causing the two friends to look at him. "Seriously, Potter. You might as well discuss now, for who knows when you will get another chance." Harry's eyebrow raised, unsure of the nature of this comment.

"Uh, sure. Hermione, you aren't mad are you?"

"Oh Harry, of course not. If anything, I should be thanking you. But I do think you should go. I have barely been home half an hour, and you interrupted my much needed relaxation after this journey. I promise we will have to have lunch, and see what happens from there." Hermione smiled softly, and Draco noted that she was biting her lower lip. Draco took a seat on her sofa, and made himself comfortable.

"Oh, ok. I think I will go then. Don't be a stranger, Hermione. Remember, you will have to face Molly, and Ginny too. Oh, and Ron wanted to come, but I advised him against it. You may want to owl him." And with that, a loud crack resonated through out the room.

Draco patted the seat cushion next to him. Hermione blushed and walked over to sit next to him. In mid process, he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. "Now, where were we?" he whispered huskily into her ear. Chills ran down her spine, and she looked him deeply in the eyes.


	12. Dinner

Days, weeks, and months flew by. Everybody fell into a pattern. Hermione would go to work, have lunch with Harry, and go home. Harry would go home, pretend like his day was normal, and not mention anything about Hermione to Ginny or Ron. Draco remained a secret between the two, nobody willing to share what was going on. Harry had an idea, but never wanted to directly ask, where Hermione would not volunteer the information willingly. The months grew colder, as the holiday seasons was fast approaching.

"I got an invitation today," Hermione started, while setting the table for dinner. She paused to pull it out of her pocket, setting it on the table next to the place setting. "You might want to see it."

Draco picked up the invitation, looking it over. "Are you going?" he asked as he set the food down, and sitting down.

"I don't know. I really would like to, but I think it would be weird to go it alone." She looked up, reading his expression.

"But that would mean-"

"Yes, I know. I think it is about time anyways. I am tired of pretending, and lying. It makes being around Ron difficult," she pushed the food around her plate. "He keeps trying to get me to go back to him. And I just... I can't!" Tears filled her eyes as she tried to take a bite of food. Draco looked at her, seeing the internal struggle she was facing.

"Has he hurt you?" Draco asked, putting his fork down. He was afraid of the answer, but knew the question had to be asked. He looked right at her, tension in his hands.

"No. Not yet," her voice squeaked. "That's why I really think we need to do this." Draco got up from his seat and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"If it means that much, and if it will stop things, I will do it." He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. "Now, how shall we do this? I would personally suggest before this major party."

"We could invite Harry and Ginny over for dinner?" Hermione suggested once she regained her voice. "Starting with those two, we can test the waters. Anyways, I have a feeling Harry knows," she smiled and resumed eating. Draco relaxed a bit, seeing her smile again.

"I think that is a wonderful idea. Here, want to make the dinner for tomorrow? Just get it over with?" He conjured up parchment and a quill, sliding it to Hermione. In between bites, she wrote a quick dinner invitation, and handed it to Draco to proof read. "Looks good," he said as he went to the window to attach the parchment to the small owl Hermione had. His own falcon looked at him angrily, and he handed it a treat.

The two enjoyed the rest of their dinner peacefully, and when it came time to clear the plates, Draco wanted it done as fast as possible, and levitated the plates to the sink. Hermione rose, walking towards him, when there was a tapping on the window. She walked over to let the owl in, taking the parchment off the leg.

"Looks like we have a dinner date!" Hermione giggled.

The following day passed quickly, as the two were both nervous over the dinner party to happen that evening. Hermione left work early, to cast quick cleaning spells over the house, making it spotless. She was working on getting the dinner table set, when Draco arrived, arms loaded with bags from the local grocery store. He went into the kitchen, unloading the bags, pulling his wand out to begin work on dinner.

Hermione went to the bathroom, to make sure she looked just right. A few charms were needed, and she went into her bedroom to change. On her dresser were a dozen long stem red roses, and she knew where they came from. Changing quickly, she snuck up behind Draco, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Thank you for the roses."

Draco turned around, "What roses?"

"The ones in my bedroom, silly."

"I didn't get you roses." Hermione paled, she let got instantly and ran into her bedroom, and straight to the roses. Draco followed her, just standing in the doorway. She reached out and grabbed the envelope, opening it with shaking hands. Reading the card that was inside, she turned to Draco.

"We are going to have to set the table for one more." She pushed past him, into the dinning room, conjuring a new place setting. Draco rushed after her, confused on what was going on.

"What do you mean we are going to set the table for one more?" He put his hand on her shoulder, to stop her from moving. Hermione reached in her pocket, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed away immediately.

"Why are you not stopping him?" She yelled into the receiver, half in tears. "WHY?"

Draco sat back and watched as she conversed on the phone, trying hard to figure it out. He went back to the kitchen, making sure the food was not going to burn. He hear her yell, and ran out to see her.

"We can't do this... We just can't." She shook her head as she went down the hallway, to touch up her make-up.

"Can't do what?" Draco called out after her. He knew she needed her space for this, but still offered his support. Hermione emerged in the kitchen, looked at the clock, and looked at the front door just as it rang.

"This." She opened the door, faking a smile and greeted their company. Harry and Ginny entered, followed by Ron. Draco felt the urge to curse the unwanted guest, but refrained. He did note that when Ron looked at him, he saw him flinch to get his wand.

"Don't worry, I have it," Ginny said, patting her purse. Hermione shut the door, and led the group to the table. Draco, taking the hint, charmed the food onto serving platters, and then to the table. Everybody took a seat. Harry and Ginny sat next to each other, while Hermione ended up being seated between Ron and Draco. Quietly, everybody began to help themselves to the food, and began to eat without a word being spoken.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Ginny attempted to break the awkward silence.

"What is HE doing here?" Ron spat.

"RON!" warned Harry and Ginny.

"No, it's ok. He can say or do whatever he wants to, but if you must know why Draco-"

"Oh, it's Draco is it? Since when have you been socializing with that git?"

"Since he became my boyfriend! And if you have a problem with that, Ronald, then you can just leave." Everybody's jaw hit the floor, all except Harry's.

"I was wondering when you were going to tell me, Hermione. I am so happy for you!" He stood up to give her a hug, but was immediately stopped by Ron.

"How long has this been going on?" Ron asked flatly.

"Since I was in Australia." Hermione stated, looking at Ginny, who was still in shock over what was going on. Ron got up abruptly, and walked out the door, and the loud pop of apparation rang in everybody's ears.

"Shall I prepare dessert?" Draco asked, as he began to clear the place setting where Ron was at. Hermione excused herself from the table, running to her room in tears. It only took one look from Harry, and Ginny got up to follow her.

"We tried to stop him, you know. At least Harry did. Every night after the two of you would meet up, Harry would tell him to stop trying, and that you moved on. As we all know, my brother is very dim witted." Hermione chuckled through her tears. "I know you are afraid of him, but if he tries anything around any of us, he will be sorry. Ok?" Hermione simply nodded. "Now, now. Stop those tears. I know for a fact there is a handsome wizard in that kitchen conjuring up something sinfully delicious. Shall we go investigate?"

Ginny gave Hermione a much needed hug, and after a quick make-up touch up, and a giggle, the two went off into the dining area, and had the proper night Hermione had planned. Drinks and desserts were passed around, and the group of four lounged on the couches, telling stories and laughing, as if nothing else had bothered them this evening.

When it came for Harry and Ginny to leave, Ginny gave Draco a quick hug. "You hurt her, you will deal with me?" Draco laughed, a melodious sound.

"You have my word, I will take good care of her." And with that, the young couple disapparated back home. Draco turned to Hermione, a sly smile played across his face.

"Oh, and what has you so smug?" She asked, as he drew closer to her. His answer was non-verbal, as he kissed her with the burning passion he felt all evening. "Oh," was all she was able to get out, as he picked her up, and carried her down the hallway. He stumbled into the bedroom, and the two fell upon the bed. Hermione pulled out her wand, muttering a long chain of charms and spells too fast for Draco to understand.

Draco kissed her deeply, a sense of relief between them. Hermione returned the kiss with a much wanted desire, her fingers working at the buttons on his shirt. Draco smiled while kissing her, and pulled away, muttering a quick charm, and Hermione was suddenly out of the dress she was wearing. She rose an eyebrow at him, sliding his shirt off his strong shoulders..

The two kissed with a burning desire ever growing. Hermione gripped his shoulders, nails gently embedding into his back as he kissed and bit down her neck, one hand massaging one of her supple breasts. His kisses and nips made their way down, and he began to bite and lick her nipples. Between her moans of delight, she was able to mutter the same spell, to get the rest of Draco's clothes off of him.

Immediately free of all clothes, Draco pressed his body as close to Hermione's as he could, making sure she knew how turned on he was. Hermione's eyes widened when she felt how hard he was, and snaked a hand down to feel it for herself. He pulled himself back, as she began to work her hand up and down his shaft, making his breathing deepen. A sly smirk from her, and she changed positions, settling between his legs, and then slowly lowered her head.

It took all the control he had to keep himself together the instant she began to lick and suck his cock. Her soft lips around his shaft caused his eyes to roll back, and he wrapped his fingers in her hair, helping set the perfect pace. Hermione felt as his cock began to throb, and stopped all movement before he was able to release.

Hermione rose up to give Draco a long kiss, slowly hovering her moist nether lips above his tip. He could feel the warmth radiating from her, and unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her hips and pushed her down onto his swollen head. She let out a surprised gasp as she felt him penetrate her.

Draco grabbed a hold of her hips, gripping tightly. Hermione took one look into his eyes, and began to work his cock over, bouncing rhythmically. Draco forced her to a faster tempo, and began to thrust upwards to meet her, allowing him to penetrate even deeper than she was anticipating. Before she knew it, she began to shudder with an intense orgasm, her juices running down his cock. Draco pushed forward, getting himself on top of her, and began to slam himself into her. She moaned and screamed, back arching as she was gearing up for another climax. Hermione felt his phallus get even harder, knowing he was close as well. She tried with all her might to hold off until the right moment. Draco's breath became more and more shallow, and with one final thrust, he groaned as he spilled his seed deep inside her. Feeling his explosion, Hermione let loose.

The two laid tangled in a love knot, neither willing or wanting to move. Hermione snuggled up close to Draco, laying her head upon his chest. Slowly, she began to drift of in a sex coma, and Draco picked up his wand, muttered a few charms, and began a pieceful rest of his own.


	13. Day Out

The sun rose, filling the room with a warm and soft glow. Feeling the sun upon her face, Hermione began to stir, careful to not wake her sleeping lover. After escaping from her room and to the bathroom, she went into the study to draft a quick note to Ginny. She figured the young witch would be the perfect person to talk things out with, and maybe would be given a chance to explain herself. After sealing the letter, she attached it to the leg of the small owl Draco presented Hermione.

No sooner than the last drop of coffee filled the pot, and she made herself a cup, Draco's arms snaked their way around her waist. Persistent as he was, she managed to fix him a cup of coffee with his arms not budging. Hermione chose to charm the cups to the table, not willing to burn herself, and tried to work her way to the table. Within four steps, their legs became tangled, and the couple found themselves on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

Their laughter stopped the instant they heard the tapping on the window. Hermione got up to let in three birds: an ordinary owl, her small owl, and a rather large eagle. She removed the Daily Prophet from the first owl, gave it a payment, and it flew out the window. She set the paper down, and began to untie the note to her on the small owl's leg, when she noticed Draco was not getting up.

"Draco, it's for you. Do you want me to untie it for you?" Draco shot up and grabbed the letter from the eagle, and cautiously opened the letter.

Hermione read her response from Ginny, and penned a quick reply back, and began to make herself a quick breakfast. Draco sat there at the table, silently reading his letter.

"I am going out today. I really think I need to have some girl time, so Ginny and I are going to meet up in Diagon Alley. Hopefully we can talk things out, and I can not feel as stressed..." Hermione continued to talk about her plans, and Draco kept reading on. She sat a plate down in front of him, and he ate in silence, unsure of what to say. Her voice stopped talking, and he looked over to see her eating rather quickly, and he made himself slow down, just to have some time to think.

"Ok, I will see you for dinner. Send a patronus if you need to change the plans!" Hermione disapparated after a quick peck on the cheek, and arrived right outside of Gringotts. She looked around, checking to see who was around, and then she spotted her ginger friend. The two ran up to each other, giving a big hug, and began their much needed girl day.

They began at one side of the street, where Ginny filled Hermione in on everything that had gone on while she was gone. She mentioned that everybody was worried sick about why she had up and disappeared, as well as stating that Harry assured everybody that she was safe. Ron apparently lost it, unsure of what was going on, blaming himself, and drinking like crazy. Most of the local wizarding pubs have been asked not to serve him by members of the Order.

Ginny then turned the tables, asking for all the juicy details on how she managed to be in a relationship with Malfoy. Despite her biased dislike of the man, Ginny had come prepared to see him how her friend saw him, and to make sure she really was happy. Listening to how he tricked her, she grew angry, but was unsure on who to direct her fury at: Harry or Draco. But as Hermione continued to share her knowledge, Ginny began to forgive both of them, and decided to warn them to never concoct such a scheme ever again.

"And he was the one to tell me it was time to undo the charm on my parents memory, and when I was unable to do it myself, he stepped up and did it. I don't know if I would have been able to do it if he were not there, as much as I wish he wasn't."

"Why not?"

"Well, let's just say my first conversation with my parents unveiled something, and it was not a pleasant conversation at all." Hermione looked uneasy. Should she trust her?

"Do you want to talk about something else?" Ginny asked, able to take hints.

"Actually, I think you might want to know before you find out the wrong way. When I was looking for the self note in my parents' house, I uncovered a secret about myself, and my family." She took a deep breath. "Basically, my parents lied to me, and continued to lie. There is no Granger Family. But there is a Dewin Family." She paused, looking at the look on confusion on her friend's face.

"Dewin... why does that name sound familiar?"

"Probably because it was a very powerful pure-blood wizarding family. They were all scholars, writing numerous books and performing thousands of studies."

"So why lie about it?"

"Well, that's where things are interesting. My mother and father, both from pure-blood families, and both squibs. Ashamed about letting their families down, when they married, they vowed to leave the world of magic, and live as muggles. They found out they had a talent in dentistry, and decided it would be best to not think about the world of magic. Unfortunately, they had me, and when they heard I was destined for Hogwarts, they knew they had to pretend they never had seen this world." Hermione shifted awkwardly as her friend processed this information.

"How long has Draco known about this?" Ginny questioned. "Because maybe his interest in you is only due to the knowledge you are no longer impure." Ginny read the offended look on her friend's face. "You can't say I am not looking out for you! I just want to make sure the ferret is not wooing you under false pretenses!"

"We started being close before he found out. He found out the day my parents were given their memories back. Feelings were already there prior to this. Or so I think..."

"Ok! You've convinced me. Don't go doubting your relationship!" Ginny pulled the brunette witch into a shop. Hermione had no time to read the name on the shop door, and was confused on what was in her friend's mind. She looked around, surrounded by dresses and trendy music. Confused, she looked over to where Ginny was, to see her talking with the sales clerk.

"What's going on?" Hermione asks quietly. Ginny just smiles and shakes her head, pushing her into the next room, full of mirrors and curtains. Hermione looked at her reflection, mildly shocked to see what she had. Her color was looking better than it had for a while, finally regaining the weight she lost, and through her not-so baggy clothes, she noticed the outlines of a rather nice figure. While admiring herself in the mirror, the clerk comes in and begins to take measurements of Hermione, the Quick Quotes Quill rapidly scratching out the numbers. The clerk disappears out the room and dresses start to appear in the room in a vast number.

Ginny begins to look at the dresses, pointing her wand at each one, making three different groups.

"Mind telling me what is going on?"

"Since things have been crazy, especially when it comes to you, I figured I would just go off my assumption and take charge." Ginny casually stated, as if it were no big deal.

"What do you mean you would assume?" Hermione asked while getting pushed behind one of the curtain dividers and being handed a dress. Guessing this meant she was to put it on, she began changing.

"Well, I assumed you were going to be the Maid of Honor at my wedding. And before you yell at me for not telling you sooner, Harry made sure nobody knew where you were, so I was not able to tell you. We were going to tell you last night, and that's when I was going to ask you officially, but naturally my git of a brother ruined that for us. And since I figured you would have said yes anyways, I arranged for a fitting for your dress today. Good thing too, since it is this weekend."

Hermione flung the curtain open, not caring that the dress was half on her. She gave Ginny a massive hug, and began to tear up at the whole thing. "And here I was going on and on about me all day!"

"A lot has happened with you too, plus I needed to know if it would be safe to tell you to bring Malfoy with you or not." At this point, Hermione grabbed her wand out of her clothes, and pulled Ginny behind the curtain with here.

"Well, let's get these dresses on as fast as possible, we don't have much time do we?" The witches giggled as the dresses were charmed on her, off her, and another on almost instantly. All the ones that were potential candidates were moved into a final pile. Once all the dresses were tried on once, they reviewed the final candidates. Finally, they picked one.

The two left the store, chatting about wedding plans, when Hermione looked at the time and realized she needed to go home. Ginny offered to go home with her, and invite Draco herself, to which Hermione agreed. Upon arriving in her flat, there was a letter left on the counter in Draco's hand. Picking the letter up, Hermione read it and ran to the study. On her way, she dropped the letter which Ginny picked up and read:

Hermione,  
I received a letter from my mother and father requesting my presence at the Manor. I am afraid to know why they are requesting me there, but if I am not home by dinner, please owl me, and give me an excuse to leave. I did not want to worry you on your day out with Ginny, so I chose to leave this instead of tell you.  
I love you.  
Draco


	14. Arrangements

Draco looked down at the letter that was delivered. He knew that eagle. He knew this letter was not going to be pleasant, but knew he better get it over with. Hermione was talking about something, kept going on about whatever it was, and he just started at the parchment, the words just not wanting to connect in his brain.

Draco,  
Your father and I would like your presence at the Manor today to discuss a wonderful opportunity that has come about from the Greengrass family. We have already made arrangements for you to talk with us and the Greengrass household, so your presence is much needed. Please be here as soon as possible as this is of the utmost importance.  
Mum

Draco was snapped out of his daze by a kiss from Hermione. He feared what this opportunity was. He went into the bedroom and found himself presentable to wear for a "business lunch" with his family. He really wished his family would just leave him be, he enjoyed his job, had a wonderful relationship, and was finally being happy for the first time in a long time.

Draco apparated outside the Manor, to remind his parents he does not live there anymore. After ringing the bell, he was escorted into the formal living room. He hated this room, always being forced to impress people he could not care any less for. There his mother rose and gave her son a big hug.

"So glad you made it Draco," she smiled as she looked at him, taking him his healthy appearance.

"By the way you worded things, it was not as if I had a choice in the matter, now did I?" Draco whispered to his mother, seeing the company they had in the room.

Narcissa lead her son to the couches, where all the occupants rose to greet him. Draco saw a man who he assumed to be the head of the household Greengrass. He noticed the older woman with him, and the two younger ladies with him. Deep inside the confides of his mind, he groaned, and now had a full understanding of what was going to happen.

"Draco," Lucius said curtly, "I would like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass, and their lovely daughters, Daphne and Astoria."

"It's a pleasure." Draco shook hands with Mr. Greengrass, and kiss the hands of the three ladies. He moved to sit down, and everybody followed suit.

"Pleasure is all mine, Draco." Mr. Greengass replied, a hopeful smile in his voice.

Almost instantly, a small chat conversation began, trying to get everybody relaxed and comfortable with one another. Draco knew something was up, and was very hesitant with his impression of the family sitting across from him. Several hours passed, lunch was served, and the families found themselves back in the formal living room once more, still occupying themselves with small talk.

"It was a wonderful wedding, wasn't it Narcissa?" Mrs. Greengrass asked, snapping Draco's attention back to the topic at hand.

"Who's wedding was this again?" Draco asked, his father glared at him for not paying attention.

"Why it was Miss Parkinson's wedding to Theodore Nott. Come to think of it, you were not there, which surprised me." Draco made a mental note to get in touch with some of his friends, which he had not done in a while.

"Oh, yes, I was unable to attend due to a work assignment that I was given. I do wish them the best." Draco half lied, hoping to cover his own tracks on where he had been. He knew that this answer would not be good enough.

"You missed out on one of the best weddings of a couple of status," his father began. "Which brings me to the real reason why we are here. Draco, Miss Parkinson was the ideal person we would have wanted you to marry. Her family comes from a long line of high society witches and wizards, and you two would have been a perfect match. Unfortunately, Mr. Nott thought the same, and has wed her. You, my son, are of age to be married, and we do have a certain image to uphold."

"Father, you are aware that this will not look good upon our family, seeing as the war is over. There is not a pressure to marry pure, in fact many look down upon this." Draco was furious.

"Why yes, I understand this perfectly. Miss Bulstrode, Mr. Crabbe, and several other of your so-called friends from school have all married impure people. It's a shame. Not many pure lines out there, and all of these people dirtying our bloodlines we have worked hard for all thanks to that Mr. Potter." Draco fought back the anger he had in him, and did his best to not show it. "I see this angers you as much as it does me, knowing that everybody is not upholding their family legacies."

"I have made a proposal, Young Malfoy. I would like you to marry one of my daughters. I will assure you that they are both of pure blood, and will make for wonderful wives, who will be very loyal and faithful." Mr. Greengrass mentioned, as if he were trying to sell Draco a new broom.

"Thank you, but no thank you." Draco politely said. Gasps from all the women were the only sound that was made, and Lucius rose, pulling his son up with a strong grip on his shirt.

"You better have a good reason for disobeying your parents thusly, and in front of company. This is the best arrangement that we have seen-" Lucius was cut off by the entry of a house elf, holding a silver tray with a single letter written on it, addressed to Draco. Draco looked at the time, and knew who it was from, but still took the letter and opened it anyways. A smirk played across his face when he remembered something rather important.

"Why yes, father, I do have a good reason. You see, as lovely as the Greengrass ladies are, I am currently in a relationship that I believe you will approve of." He never dropped his smirk, and his father began to be curious.

"I have contacted all the remaining pureblood families out there in regards to arranging a marriage for you. These are the last two witches I see fit for you to marry, unless you are planning on marrying blood traitors or even worse." Lucius cringed with a look of disgust on his face. Narcissa was on the verge of tears.

"Actually, father, you have missed a family. Now if you don't mind me, Miss Dewin and I have-"

"You have got to be joking. The Dewin family has been long gone. Nobody has seen them since the Squib got married. It was rumored that they were killed back at the first rise of our Lord." Lucius laughed out. All four adults began to laugh at the absurd notion that the Dewin family was still around.

"Well, if you don't mind me, we have a dinner date, and as you have raised me, you can never be late to a dinner." Draco turned to give his mother a hug, and whispered in her ear, "I can't believe you thought this would be a good idea." He said his good-byes to the Greengrass family, and apparated back to the flat he shared.

Upon seeing Hermione, Draco ran up and gave her a deep kiss, reminding himself that she was in fact real. "Thank you for saving me," he said between kisses.

"That bad?"

"You have no idea. They were trying to arrange a marriage for me and one of the Greengrass daughters because they are, as they believe, the last respectable family for me to marry into. Which is ridiculous that my father thinks it is still sociably acceptable to uphold the pureblooded philosophy. He even told me most everybody I knew has gotten married, and some to muggle born and half bloods." Draco ranted. Hermione remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

Ginny coughed, alerting him she was there. Draco jumped and immediately turned red. "Well, since are on the topic of marriages, will you be accompanying Hermione to mine?" thus beginning a more pleasant conversation on weddings. Once all the details were made, Hermione made a realization.

"Ginny, where will Ron be?" Ginny paled. She had completely forgotten that Ron was Harry's Best Man, and could not believe that it slipped her mind.

"Uh, I will talk to Harry about this. Can I owl you later?" Hermione nodded as Ginny disapparated out of the flat. Hermione turned to Draco, a sly smile upon her face.

"So what did you eventually tell them?" She asked as she drew up close to him, her breath on his lips.

"I told them I had a dinner date with a Miss Dewin, and then I left. Not after they told me that family has been long gone. But in a way, I was given their approval just by the acknowledgment of the name. So shall you make an honest man out of me, and go out to dinner with me?" Draco asked huskily, his lips brushing against hers with every movement. Giving in, he kissed her with the pent up desire he had from the moment they were interrupted by Ginny. In the back of his mind, he debated throwing off dinner, taking her down the hall, and making love, until he heard a stomach growl. "C'mon love, let's get something to eat, shall we?"

A quick nod, and the couple changed into something suitable for a celebratory dinner, pausing only briefly for the letter that had arrived by owl. Hermione told herself she would open it in the morning, that it was not that important yet. Right now was for her and Draco, and knowing that he was not going to marry some stranger. She wondered if he said no because he had plans, but the two of them never talked about what each other wanted in the way of marriage. It seemed overly discussed for the day, and Hermione made a mental note to talk to him about it. Maybe after Harry and Ginny's wedding.

Draco held out his arm, a glimmer in his eye, and once Hermione had a good hold on him, he apparated them to a lovely dinner. The night was still young, and he was ready to make a good end to a bad day.


	15. Marriage

The insanity that was the wedding of Ginny Weasley to Harry Potter was a fast paced blur. Many people showed up, reporters were everywhere, and everything seemed to mellow out when the couple was pronounced "Wizard and Wife." The chaos of the reception was smoother than anticipated. Dancing and food were abundant, photos were taken by all, and everybody could not help but laugh during the toasts.

There was only one thing that could have improved the day, and that would have been the presence of Ron. Due to the nature of his storming off, he chose to not attend a function, even his only sister's wedding to his best friend, if Hermione and Draco were to be there. Unfortunately, everybody else seemed to think this childish behavior was uncalled for, and encouraged the freshly announced couple to attend.

Many a wizard was confused when Hermione gathered everybody around after the toasting to share in some "muggle" customs for weddings. After explaining the bouquet and garter toss, everybody seemed to find it to be something rather fun. Because they were her suggestion, she had to partake in the toss as well, being the un-married witch that she was. The bouquet flew high in the air, and all the young women desperate to catch it squealed in delight. Hermione stepped away from the imminent stampeed, She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was happening, to open them to a jumping and screaming Angelina Johnson. A rush of relief blew over her, knowing that she was not "the next to be married."

The wizards all rushed forward to partake in the garter toss, much to Hermione's surprise. She sat back and watched as Harry shot the garter up in the air, and saw the brawl that occurred to get it. Finally, after the shouting died down, a hand rose in the air victorious. Draco himself had caught the garter, and was beaming ear to ear with a wide grin.

The evening came to a close, and slowly, the guests began to leave. Couples littered the dance floor, slow dancing to the crooning song. Hermione sighed, looking at the newlywed couple dancing together, ignoring the world. Draco noticed her content mood and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Would you like to go home?" Hermione looked in his eyes and nodded, trying to stifle a yawn. "M'kay, let's go tell the Potter's we are off."

After much congratulations and hugs, Draco and Hermione apparated back home. She kicked her heels off and threw herself on the couch. Draco slumped out of his coat and sat next to his girlfriend, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top buttons. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as he grabbed one of her feet. He began to give her a foot massage, smirking as her eyes fluttered from being stretched. Running his thumb along the arch of her foot, a gentle moan slipped from her lips, causing Draco to chuckle.

"Hermione..." Draco began, not sure he was ready to start talking about this.

"Hmmm?" She asked between purrs of delight from her foot massage.

"Did you enjoy today?"

"I had fun, why do you ask?"

"Well... I was talking with some of the people at the wedding, mostly the young ladies, and all of them seemed to babble incessantly about getting married or wanting to get married. I was just curious why you haven't said anything about it." He managed to get out, afraid of the answer she might give.

"I don't know. I've never been the kind of girl to have her dream wedding picked out. I never thought I would get married, at least not until I was well in my thirties and with an established career."

Draco sat back thinking on what she said. He felt let down, but he knew this could easily be changed.

"Huh, I don't know why I was expecting other wise. You always put your studies and work first. Come on, let's go to bed." He stood up and held out his hand in an offer, which she accepted, and they walked together up the stairs. Both exhausted, they just stripped out of their clothes and did not even bother to put anything else on. Crawling into bed, Draco scooted in closer just to be able to hold Hermione in the night. He needed that comfort.

Several hours later, Draco was woken up by a punch. He rubbed his wound and looked over as Hermione's fists were gaining speed once more, and he stopped her from doing more damage. Her eyes were shut tightly as she started thrashing about, muttering in her sleep. Draco worried and tried to hold her still, begging her to wake up. Hermione startled awake, clutching the sheets in her hands, drenched in sweat. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. She felt Draco's hand rubbing her back, calming her down.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern dripping in his voice. All Hermione did was nod. "Was that a nightmare?" Another nod. "Care to talk about it?" He waited to see if she would move. The only movement he saw was her taking a deep breath.

"I was getting married." Draco was about to laugh, but heard the fear in her voice. "I know it should not give me nightmares, but everything that could go wrong did, and my life was ruined. It was horrible! Much worse than the dream I had back at Hogwarts about failing my NEWTS and being told I could never get a job!" Hermione burst into tears, and all Draco could do was hug her, silent tears spilling from his eyes.

"It was just a dream. Your life is not ruined, you are not married, and you are absolutely fine. Now, give us a smile." Hermione managed to give a weak smile. "Much better. Do you want anything while we are up? Water, milk, something to eat?"

"A glass of milk would be nice," she answered softly. Draco kissed her forehead as he got out of bed in quest for some milk. He reached the kitchen and leaned against the counter. His hand reached for the drawer next to him, the one he stashed his snacks in, pulling out a small box. Opening it, he gazed at the beautiful ring inside, depressed knowing her feelings about marriage. He left the box on the counter as he grabbed the milk and a glass, pouring the mysterious woman a drink. He made it out the kitchen door before he realized he left the ring on the counter, and he rushed to put it away. Maybe some day he will succeed. Or maybe some day he will get the ring on her finger, but not for marriage.

On his walk up the stairs, he continued thinking about timing. Maybe it is too soon. He doesn't want to rush things. Should he wait for when she is ok with it, like waiting on a virgin to say she is ready for sex? Would asking anyways, knowing her answer, be a bad thing? Questions raced through his mind faster than the new Firebolt. He figured he would wait and ask for help about this from somebody who knows best. He handed over the glass of milk to Hermione, and watched and she took some cautious sips.

"I am so sorry for waking you up." Hermione whispered. Draco wrapped his arms around her as she finished her glass. Sending off to the kitchen, he pulled her in close and laid down. He kissed her neck softly, getting her to relax. "I guess marriage is not all that bad. I mean, if THE Harry Potter can get married, and things don't go crazy, then I guess it's not too bad." Draco smiled, and made a mental note to have a talk with The Potters. But that will have to wait until later. Now is all about the woman who he is tangled up with.

"Now, there is no need to work yourself up over marriage. What about kids? Do you want any?" Draco figured it was best to know now what her stance was on children. He could feel her thinking away on the answer, and continued to hold her close.

"I've never thought about having children. Not that I wouldn't want them, but I never really thought I would be able to find somebody who would want to have children, or if I am able to. I have read it is difficult for women who have been under Cruciatus Curse multiple times to bear children." She paused, remembering that he was there when it happened. "I guess now that I think about it, since I am probably unable to, I kinda wish I could." He felt a lone tear slide down his cheek, and looked up into her eyes.

"You have plenty of time to figure this out. And you are the brightest witch of our age. Maybe you will find a cure, find cures for those tortured. If you want, I will help fund you."

The young couple talked some more, falling asleep with some big plans. Draco thinking of marriage, Hermione of a possible new career path


	16. Deals

Monday morning rolled around, and Hermione went straight to the Ministry of Magic. Grabbing all the important papers, she made her appointment to see the Minister, and waited patiently in the lobby. Nervously, she re-read her notes, and wished Draco was here to help her. The Minister's secretary opened the door, motioning for Hermione to enter. Whispering a prayer to whoever would listen, she went into his office.

"Hello Miss Granger. Might I ask why you have requested to see me in such a formal setting?" Kingsley inquired. He motioned for her to sit down on one of the comfortable looking chairs. Sitting down, clutching her notes, Hermione slowly began to speak.

"I want to see if I can get permission to begin research, and possibly testing for it. I was wondering if the Ministry could perhaps sponsor me." She began shuffling through her parchments. "The main reason I am asking for permission is because of the nature of what I want to work on. Especially at this point in time." Kingsley raised an eyebrow, and sat back, knowing this might be longer than he was anticipating. After another deep breath, Hermione continued on her explanation.

"I want to do research on reversing the effects of the Cruciatus curse, with my primary focus on the female reproduction afterwards. Up until this point, it has been known and stated that after being a subject of the Cruciatus curse, a woman very rarely can conceive. Seeing as the war is over, and there is no chance of it starting up again, I want to be able to help reverse the damage caused by the Death Eaters. There were many young victims who were cursed, who may, at some point down the line, want to have children. If all my research and testing goes well, I may be able to branch out and try more. I know I can do this, Mr. Minister. The question is, will you fund me?" Hermione stopped, looking through glossy eyes, holding back her tears. She was afraid of the answer.

"What would you need?" Kingsley picked up a quill and some parchment, ready to write down her list.

"I would need to be able to access potion ingredients, as well as a healer who can do routine check-ups on those who will volunteer for my study. Since I am not a healer, I will not be able to see if what I am doing is really having an effect or not." She had not thought of these questions, and was trying her best to think on the spot. "Right now, I am not too sure all of what I need. I guess I would also like a small team to help me: curse breakers, healers, potion makers, the likes, so we can put our heads together. I may be the brightest witch of our age, but there are some things I would like to run by with a professional. And of course, I would need to be able to gather some volunteers for my research. Those who are willing to try and conceive at this time, who have been having difficulties doing so thanks to the Cruciatus."

Kingsley could not help but smile. He really wanted to be able to say yes to her request right there, but knew he would need to get it approved himself. "Miss Granger, I think this would be a wonderful idea, a good way to help rebuild during these times. As much as I want to grant the power to you, I do need to get the approval as well. I will take your proposal to the next meeting and see what can happen. Rest assured I will do my best to help you, but I am unsure of what will happen. I will send an owl with what I can tell you as soon as I can."

Hermione rose and shook hands with the Minister, not sure if this was a good or bad thing. She left the office and apparated back to her shared place of living. Draco was not home, something she was thankful of. Changing her clothes into something more comfortable, Hermione began to pace the house, wondering what she was going to do

Before long, she found herself in her make-shift office, and began working more on her research. Even though she could not proceed much further, she figured if the theories were solid, things could move quickly. Hours ticked by as she read and wrote notes, making everything just so. She created "To Do" lists for each assigned professional position she asked Kingsley for, so if everything went well, their first meeting would allow for a brief introduction, immediately followed by going to work. Draco appeared at the door, and silently watched her passionately work. As much as he loved the sight, he knew that she would need to stop and eat, something he could tell she had yet to do.

"Mione?" he called out, softly. Hermione looked up and saw him, a smile stretched across her face. "How did your meeting go?" She opened her mouth to tell him, but her stomach growled rather loudly. "How about we go to dinner, and you can explain everything?" With a quick nod, followed by a chaste kiss, Hermione was up and changing her clothes quickly.

Dinner was a wonderful meal. Hermione moaned in delight while she filled herself with food, reminding her briefly of Ron. She began to get sad thinking of what was lost, but remembered that her life is so much better now. She told Draco all about her meeting with Kingsley, and watched as he processed the information.

"So for right now, you don't know if you can proceed?" Hermione nodded, mouth full of food. "Love, I keep telling you I have the money, and I will fund you." Hermione shook her head and swallowed.

"As wonderful as that is, I want to try going about this the proper way. I do not want to be shunned or my research dubbed faulty." She held her hand to stop him from commenting. "I know you are trying to change your name, and this would be a great way to help, but please, let me do this for me?" Draco simply nodded. It was hard to let the witch he loved so much brush him off. After swallowing another morsel of food, she added, "And anyways, this won't change your image much. People will think you just sought after the most drastic thing and bought your way into good graces. You can do so much better than that."

Draco could not help but admit that she was right. Even if her research turned out to be the cure for one of the Unforgivables, the public who still sees the Malfoy name in a negative light would think he was just tagging along for the ride. He needed something big to do for himself. Should he fund a school, a library, a treatment facility for when Hermione finishes all her research? That was it! He would open up a long term care facility for those affected by curses.

"Hermione?" She paused and looked up at him. "You are right. I won't fund your research. Do it how you want to. However, you will not stop me from funding a facility for you, where you can practice and research all you want. Think of it as my gift for you!"

"But Draco, I don't even have the grant yet! And this is all theory! This might not even work out how I am envisioning." She was shocked at his offer, knowing this building would be magnificent. Draco looked a bit saddened when he realized she was turning this down. Hermione felt bad, reached across the table, and put her hand on his. "How about this, when I get the response from Kingsley, we will talk about this facility. If I have permission to start work on it, we can use it. If not, I am sure we can work out something together. Deal?"

"Deal."


End file.
